Thursday, September 26, 2013

Long march starts for Khulna

The long march ‘Save the Sundarbans’ started from Jessore towards Khulna Friday morning on its way to Rampal in Bagerhat.After staying a night at Jessore town, more than one thousand protesters started for Khulna city via Fultola, Doulatpur and Shalishpur upazilas of Jessore around 10:00am, reports our correspondent travelling with the long march.The protesters are likely to hold a rally at Khulna city later in the day, our correspondent added.Organised by the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, the long march was initiated for the cancellation of the Rampal power plant project in Bagerhat, which is just 14 kilometres off the world’s largest mangrove forest the Sundarbans.Earlier on Thursday, 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 leave a negative impact on the people of the southern region.“If there is no sign of life left, what we will do with the electricity,” he said.
Meanwhile, back in Dhaka several eminent personalities in a joint statement expressed their solidarity with the long march Thursday.After reaching Faridpur on Wednesday, the protesters stopped at Ambika Memorial Hall in the town.At a rally in Faridpur, the participants vowed to resist the government move to set up the coal-fired Rampal power plant near the wilderness.The long march, which is expected to reach Rampal on Saturday, will end with a rally at Digraj.More than 1,200 protesters set out on the long march from the capital’s Jatiya Press Club on Tuesday.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.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.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Bangladesh medical camp serving Rohingyas refugees in no-man’s land

Border Guard Bangladesh has set up a medical camp to extend support to the thousands of Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution in Myanmar, ...