Cancel deal on Rampal power plant
Demands Oil, Gas committee
The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports has demanded cancellation of the deal signed with India to build a 1,320-megawatt coal-fired power plant at Rampal in Bagerhat on Sunday, saying this will put the Sundarbans and adjacent rivers at risks of severe pollution.
The committee said at a meeting in the city yesterday the agreement was signed despite reasonable opposition from the experts and locals, said a press release.
The government also ignored the need of environmental assessment that was required before approval of the site for such plant, said the leaders of the committee.
“The Sundarbans is not only an asset of Bangladesh, but also of the world. The agreement has put the forest in danger. We, therefore, condemn the deal and demand more scrutiny on the prices, site selection, environment and other facilities,” the committee added.
The committee also said in the name of public-private partnership, the government was leaving the charge of running the terminal of Chittagong Port to the private sector. This was actually widening the path for the local and international conspiracies being hatched on the port, the committee said.
The committee announced a rally towards the Parliament at 3:00pm on February 15 demanding formation of a law banning export of mineral resources of the country.
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