No coal-run power plant in Bagerhat: BNP

The opposition says there should not be any coal-run power plant in Bagerhat as it will harm the Sundarbans.

Dhaka, July 18 (bdnews24.com) — The BNP acting secretary-general has asked the government to shelve the proposed coal-run power plant project at Rampal in Bagerhat, fearing that it might harm the Sundarbans.

"The carbon, to be emitted from the coal-based power plant, will seriously affect the environment, mainly the world's largest mangrove forest Sundarbans," Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Monday.

He made the remarks while launching a campaign to vote for the Sundarbans at the Dhaka Reporters Unity. National Youth Forum of Bangladesh (NYFB) started its month-long campaign through the event.

He also expressed solidarity with the locals who had been protesting the government move to set up the 1300MW plant at Satmari Katakhali of the upazila in collaboration with NPTC, an Indian state-run power company.

NTPC recently submitted its draft feasibility report on the project, which will use Indian coal that contains high sulphur.

On July 9, police foiled a demonstration of the locals and green groups -- Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa), Save the Sundarbans, Centre for Human Rights Movement (CHRM), Sundarbans Tourists Club and Rampal Krishijami Rakkha Sangram Parishad.

A High Court bench on March 1 asked the government why the construction of the plant should not be declared illegal.

The senior BNP leader also claimed that acquiring 4,000 acres of land in the area beside the Pashur River, mostly arable, would be disastrous.

But High Court lawyer Manzill Murshid during the hearing on March 1 said the government was planning to acquire 1,834 acres of land.

Another project at Anwara in Chittagong of the same capacity is also facing a High Court ban, imposed on October 10 last year.

Meanwhile, question has arisen about the quality of Indian coal due to high sulphur content.

The former state minister for tourism and civil aviation also urged all to vote as many as possible for the Sundarbans to make it one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

He also called for launching a massive afforestation derive and steps against logging trees.

The programme was also attended by NYFB president G M Rabbani, Juba Dal president Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal and ICL Group managing director H N M Shafiqur Rahman.

bdnews24.com/sm/pks/sam/2105h

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