Left-leaning political leaders on Wednesday urged the government to cancel the project of setting up the 1,320 megawatt coal-based power plant at Rampal,
which they said would affect the biodiversity of Sundarban.
The Barisal district unit of United Communist League of Bangladesh formed a human chain and held a rally in front of the Ashini Kumara Hall in the city.
The organisation convener, Jalilur Rahman, presided over the programme.
The project was taken under a joint venture of Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Limited and the company intended to construct the plant at Rampal which was only nine kilometres away from the Sundarban, they said.
The speakers alleged that India was trying to protect the Sundarbans on its side but constructing the thermal power plant on the Bangladesh side to destroy the ecology of the area.
They also alleged that after setting up the costly rental power plant, the government would resort to buying the electricity at higher cost instead of using the less expensive options.
The people do not want Rampal Power Plant to resolve the power crisis by damaging Sundarbans, they said.
The government finalised the project area without taking into consideration the country’s interest, they alleged, adding that the project would be beneficial only for the Indian company.
The deal is unequal and contrary to the national interests as Bangladesh would be deprived of justice according to the agreement, they said.
Professor Abdus Sattar, Harun-ar-Rashid, Nripendranath Baroi, Abdur Razzak, DN Roy, Abdur Rashid Milu, Moslemuddin and Abdur Razzak Shikdar spoke among others.
-With New Age input
