3 July 2021 | The NewAge
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Economists, environmentalists and rights activists in a joint statement on Friday demanded the stoppage of the import of Indian coal for Rampal coal-fired power plant.
They also called for the termination of the construction of the power plant near the Sunderbans.
They urged both the Bangladeshi and the Indian governments to cancel the initiatives.
They said that recently they came to know from the Indian media that the first consignment of coal from India would be arrived at Mongla Port of Bangladesh From Jharkhand via Kolkata, India, within next two to three days.
‘The reason for importing coal is to experiment. Once the unit will run in full capacity, there will be transportation of 20,000 tonnes of coal per month from Kolkata port,’ they said.
They said that the pollution from coal burning will badly affect the biodiversity and ecology of the Sunderbans.
Economist Anu Muhammad, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association chief executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman, Nijera Kori coordinator Khushi Kabir, Association for Land Reform and Development executive director Shamsul Huda, Bangladesh.
Working Group on External Debt convener Kazi Maruful Islam and its member secretary Hasan Mehedi are among the people who issued the statement.
The statement also said that the secrecy about the project, which has been constructing spending public wealth and money, was an evidence of the government’s undemocratic principles.
It was also an infringement of the people’s rights to know, they added.