Cops fire tear gas at Rampal protesters

Police fired tear gas canisters and sprayed hot water at the Malibagh rail gate yesterday to disperse a procession intending to provide a letter to the Indian high commission urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to scrap the Rampal power plant project near the Sundarbans.

Several among hundreds of green activists and left-leaning political activists arriving from Jatiya Press Club under the banner of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports were injured as the latter briefly retaliated throwing brick chips.

A delegation was allowed to continue with the letter. The committee's Member Secretary Prof Anu Muhammad declared a nationwide protest and a rally before Jatiya Press Club tomorrow afternoon.

Any damage to the Sundarbans will have a spillover effect in India, affecting nearby lives and livelihoods, reads the letter.

The Bangladesh-India Friendship Company selected Indian power company Bhel to construct the 1,320-megawatt coal power plant.

On September 30, police and Bangladesh Chhatra League activists foiled a cycle procession at the Central Shaheed Minar leaving some 25 persons injured. On July 28, the committee's activists were dispersed from Paribagh by cops using teargas. Green activists, academics and the civil society along with Unesco expressed concern of the possible harm to the Sundarbans. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 27 reaffirmed the government's resolve to continue.

Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, in a statement, came down heavily on the government, saying it had no connection with people and was oppressing opposition parties and controlling peaceful protesters who worked for the welfare of the country.