National oil, gas committee's eight-hour hartal today
The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports would enforce an eight-hour shutdown from 6:00am today in the capital to press home its demand for scrapping the Rampal power project.
The committee would also organise protest rallies across the country to raise public opinion against the plant, which they claim is harmful for the Sundarbans.
Rickshaws, bicycles, ambulances, firefighters, vegetable markets and pharmacies will be out of the purview of the strike, according to the organisers.
“We urge the people of all walks of life to extend their support to our demonstrations to save the Sundarbans from being ruined,” Prof Anu Muhammad, member secretary of the committee, told The Daily Star.
Several political parties, including BNP, have voiced solidarity with the strike.
However, Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association in a statement said they would continue transport operation defying the shutdown.
In 2009, Bangladesh and India signed a deal to set up the power plant with a capacity of 1,320 megawatt of electricity in Rampal upazila of Bagerhat.
Several green organisations and activists have been protesting against the plant since then citing that it would severely affect the forest as it would be built only kilometres away from the Sundarbans.
But the government is rigid on its decision.
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