Thousands with raised hands vow to resist open pit mining at Phulbari at a rally marking 'Phulbari killing day' yesterday.Photo: STAR

Leaders of National Oil, Gas, Minerals and Power and Port Protection Committee yesterday reiterated their demand for implementation of the six-point agreement signed on August 30 in 2006.
The previous governments had initiated deals with Asia Energy, Tata Group and Mittal to extract coal near Barapukuria, they said while observing the second anniversary of Phulbari killing.
On August 26 in 2006, at least three persons were killed and many others wounded as law enforcers opened fire and charged batons when people from Phulbari and surrounding upazilas prepared to lay siege to the coal mine area, urging the past BNP-led government to cancel the deal with Asia Energy.
Terming the deal as a threat for the national fuel security, leaders of the committee yesterday demanded expulsion of Asia Energy from the country and punishment the 'middlemen' and government officials responsible for signing the deal with Asia Energy ignoring national interest.
National resources of the country are now under threat due to rampant corruption of previous political governments while the present caretaker government is yet to take any measures against the responsible people, they said.
They also demanded that the government announce August 26 as National Resources Protection Day.
Prof Anu Muhammad, general secretary of National Oil, Gas, Mineral, Power and Port Protection Committee, read out an announcement from the newly built monument erected in memory of those killed by law enforcers in Phulbari on August 26, 2006.
The open coal mine project will threaten growing agriculture industry in the region and eventually prove as an impracticable venture, he said, adding that the coal project will lead to decline in the agricultural products including rice in Dinajpur and render thousands of people jobless.
Launching of the project will need at least 6,000 hectares of land and it will lead to dislocating about 4,70,000 people including 50,000 indigenous people, he said.
As the organisers asked for opinion about the announcement, thousands of people raised their hands to indicate their support for it.
Monjurul Ahsan Khan, president of Communist Party of Bangladesh, Rashed Khan Menon, president of Bangladesh Workers Party, Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah, Prof Shamsul Alam of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, writer Nur Muhammad, advocate Abdus Salam, National Gono Front leader Tipu Biswas, acting convener of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal Shuvrangsu Chakrabarty were present at the programme.
Our RU Correspondent adds: Speakers at a discussion meeting here yesterday blamed the government for not implementing the six-point agreement signed between government representatives and local people of Phulbari to protect national resources and environment in the coal mine area.
The meeting held at the Public Library auditorium was organised by Rajshahi unit of National Committee for Protection of Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports.
They alleged that Asia Energy is trying to stage a comeback with support of some quarters of the government.
With advocate Hamidul Haque, local convener of the committee in the chair, the meeting was addressed by, among others, its local co-ordinator Murad Morshed, eminent litterateur Prof Hassan Azizul Haque, Workers Party leader Fazley Hossain Badsha, Rajshahi University teacher Dr Muhammad Naser.