Jahangirnagar University teacher Prof Anu Muhammad has threatened to call shutdowns if the government moves ahead to establish the 1,320MW coal-based Rampal power plant near the Sundarbans mangrove forest.
“The power plant project is being implemented as part of a master plan to grab the land of the Sundarbans,” alleged the member secretary of National Committee to Protect Oil Gas Mineral Resources Power and Ports.
He also said the people would resist such moves against the biodiversity and ecology of the Sundarbans. “If needed, we will call hartals.”
He was addressing a roundtable titled “Development, Energy Management and Public Interest” in the city. Weekly Shaptahik organised the event held at Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs (Bilia).
The prime minister launched the project work on October 6 amid criticisms and concerns. The government claims that the plant would not harm the forest as it would use modern technology to curb pollution. India’s state-owned agency NTPC would build and operate the Rampal power plant in Bagerhat district.
The National Committee assisted by left parties and environmental groups and individuals organised a long march from Dhaka to the Sundarbans last month demanding that the project location be shifted.
Prof Anu said the government referred to the operation of coal-run power plants in many countries including in India and China, “but it does not say that the number of coal plants is falling considering its adverse impact on the environment and higher cost.”
He alleged that ahead of the next general elections, the government was negotiating with some particular groups, both local and international, to award them different projects.
Columnist Syed Abul Moksud, Iqbal Habib of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa), Dhaka University teacher Prof MM Akash and Communist Party of Bangladesh President Mujahidul Islam Selim in their remarks implored the government not to take any development project that might harm nature.
Former Power Cell director general BD Rahmatullah advocated renewable energy, saying that it was cheaper than rental power. He claimed that the latter had been chosen to make scope for “hefty loot.”
Talking about the prospects of solar energy, wind power, biomass and hydro energy to produce electricity, he said: “Around 28,000MW electricity can be produced from wind power in Bangladesh.”
However, Power Division officials recently said around 50-200MW of electricity could be generated from wind power in different coastal and inland sites. Bangladesh now produces about 112MW from renewable energy resources.
Shuvo Kibria, executive editor of weekly Shaptahik, said electricity price should be affordable and the existing disparity between prices of electricity in rural and urban areas should be removed.
He also criticised the government for relaxing the conditions of Model Production-Sharing Contract (PSC) 2012 for the sake of international oil and gas exploration companies.