Long march starts for Jessore

The long march “Save the Sundarbans” left Faridpur for Jessore Thursday morning on its way to Rampal in Bagerhat.More than a thousand people brought out a procession in the district town around 9:30am and paraded through the roads for around 30-minute prior to setting out for Jessore, reported our correspondent who is travelling with the long march.A convoy of around 30 vehicles carrying the protesters started for Jessore around 10:00am.The long march organised by the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, initiated for the cancellation of the Rampal power plant project in Bagerhat, which is just 14-kilometre off the world’s largest mangrove forest the Sundarbans.During the procession, the protesters chanted slogans — “my soil, my mother will not turn into a desert” (Amar mati amar ma morubhumi hobe na) and “we do not want any power plant, which will destroy the Sundarbans” (Sundarbans ke dhongsho kore bidyutkendro chai na).Some students of local schools also joined the procession.On its way, the protesters held a rally at Madhukhali upazila in Faridpur where Prof Anu Mohammad, member secretary of the committee, said if the Sundarbans is destroyed, it will left a negative impact on the people of the southern region.“If there will be no sign of life, what we will do with the electricity,” he said.Earlier reaching Faridpur Wednesday, they stayed the night at Ambika Memorial Hall in the town.The protesters will also hold rallies at Magura and Jhenidah on its way to press home their demands.When the oil gas protection body is carrying out the long march to save the Sundarbans, the government on Wednesday fixed October 22 for laying foundation stone of the power plant.At a rally in Faridpur Wednesday, the participants vowed to resist the government move to set up the coal-fired Rampal power plant near the Sundarbans.The long march, which is expected to reach Rampal on Saturday, will end with a rally at Digraj.More than 1,200 people set out on the long march from the capital’s Jatiya Press Club around 11:00am on Tuesday.Bangladesh and India had inked a deal on April 20 to set up a 1,320MW coal-fired power plant at Rampal.The project had drawn huge flak from environmentalists and eminent citizens, who say it would jeopardise the Sundarbans.