Dinajpur, Aug 15 (bdnews24.com) – Barapukuria coal production resumed operations on Sunday after about a three month-long closure following differences between the Chinese contractor and its British consultant over explosives usage.
Barapukuria Coal Mine Workers' Union president Rabiul Islam told bdnews24.com that the workers joined their work at 8am on Sunday.
On Saturday, managing director of the Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Limited (BCMCL) Mohammad Quamruzzaman told bdnews24.com that the Bangladeshi workers had joined work on Friday.
Petrobangla chairman Hossain Mansoor told bdnews24.com that the consultant finally approved the use of explosives following arguments made by Petrobangla.
Explosives were to be used for the removal of a rock in 1108 phase of the mine where an accident had happened on May 11. One miner was killed and 20 others were injured in the subsidence.
A large number of miners have been out of work since the subsidence, while only a handful were still employed.
Following a clash between the unemployed and a few of the employees on June 30, mine authorities restricted Bangladeshi workers from entering the mine compound.
The Barapukuria coal mine was discovered by the Geological Survey of Bangladesh at Parbatipur in 1985. The mine has an estimated 390 million tonnes of coal stretching 5.25 square kilometres.
The government entered into a contract with China for technical and financial assistance to set up the mine, and commercial production began in September 2005.
In 1998, a sudden onrush of water flooded the mine suspending its development for two years.
The revised mine design reduced both the recoverable reserve and mine life.
Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Limited supervises coal production by over 1,000 miners in 35 tunnels.
Some 3 million tonnes of coal have been extracted from the mine's first 'slice' so far. Five more 'slices' will be extracted after the first one is completed within a few months.
More than 1000 Bangladeshi workers are working in the coal mine at present.
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