Gonotantrik Bam Morcha to demo Nov 5 in solidarity with other protesters

Gonotantrik Bam Morcha yesterday announced holding a programme on November 5 to express solidarity with others demanding cancellation of the coal-based Rampal power plant project to preserve the Sundarbans, situated some 14 kilometres away.

It takes thousands of years for a natural forest to come about, but a few years are enough to destroy it, said the morcha convener, Saiful Haque, at a protest rally in front of Jatiya Press Club organised as a part of its "Road March to Save the Sundarbans".

"We need electricity, but we do not want it in exchange of the Sundarbans," he said, pointing out that there were many alternatives for the power plant's location but none for the world's largest mangrove forest.

The power plant will destroy the Sundarbans, he  said, adding that the government was going ahead with the project partnering with National Thermal Power Corporation Limited of India defying all protests and refusing to hold a proper debate over the issue.

Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist) Convener Shuvrangshu Chakrabarty also spoke.