The National Committee to Protect Oil-Gas-Natural Resources and Power-Port yesterday announced fresh programmes, including bringing out a demonstration towards the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for July 28, protesting the signing of a contract for implementing the Rampal power plant project near the Sundarbans.

The protest procession will be brought out from the capital's Jatiya Press Club at 11:00am.

Leaders of the national committee announced the programme at a press conference at Mukti Bhaban in the capital.

The other programmes include countrywide demonstrations on July 18 and a rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club at 4:00pm, road marches in Dhaka and in the districts around the Rampal project on July 19-25.

Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Ltd (BIFPCL), a joint venture company formed by Dhaka and New Delhi, signed a contract on July 12 with Indian contractor BHEL to install the plant.

Mentioning that India wants to implement the Rampal project as part of their strategic interest, National Committee Member Secretary Prof Anu Mohammad said, "Circumstantial evidence suggests India is very much aggressive to implement the project to ensure their presence in the Bay of Bengal."

Bangladesh's strategy should be getting out of the Rampal project as soon as possible as this project will be harmful for bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh, he stressed.