BNP in support of Jan 26 hartal protesting Rampal power plant project

BNP today extended support for a half-day hartal called by the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports for January 26 demanding cancellation of the Rampal power plant project near Sundarbans.

BNP Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed announced it at a press conference at Nayapaltan party office in Dhaka today.

The national committee on November 26 said they will enforce the half-day shutdown in Dhaka if the government does not scrap the Rampal power plant project.

READ: Hartal on Jan 26 if Rampal project not scrapped

In 2009, Bangladesh and India signed a deal to set up the two power plants in Shapmari and Katakhali, nine kilometres away from the Sundarbans.

A total of 1,834 acres of land has already been acquired for the power plants with a capacity of 1,320 megawatt of electricity.

Despite the government's assurance that the plant would not harm the Sundarbans, the Unesco remains firm against the plant and requested Bangladesh government to cancel and relocate it to a more suitable place.