'40 lakh people will be climate refugees for Rampal plant'

Around 40 lakh people of the coastal belt near Sundarbans will be climate refugees if the much-talked-about coal-based power plant is implemented in Rampal, prof Anu Muhammad said.

"Number of homeless people and climate refugees will be double in Dhaka if the Rampal Power Plant is set up near the Sundarbans," said Anu Muhammad, member secretary of National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports.

He was addressing a rally at Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka to garner people's supports to "Cholo, Cholo, Dhaka Cholo" (March to Dhaka) campaign protesting the Rampal power plant project.

After the rally, activists of the platforms brought out a procession that marched different city streets including Azimpur, Katabon, Elephant Road and New Market.

The "Cholo, Cholo, Dhaka Cholo" programme is scheduled to begin on November 24 from seven different parts of the country.

The activists from across the country will march to Dhaka from their respective points to attend the main programme and grand rally on November 26 in demand of scrapping the project of 1,320-megawatt coal-fired power station in Rampal upazila of Bagerhat.

A Bangladesh-India joint venture company signed an agreement with India's state-run Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd on July 12, paving the way for construction of the much-debated power plant.

The construction work is set to start within three to four months and the plant is scheduled to go into commercial production by July 2019.