Our Correspondent :
At least 150 people have been sued with a Dinajpur court on Wednesday for attacking and damaging the local office and vehicles of Asia Energy Corporation of Bangladesh in Phulbari upazila of Dinajpur on November 26.
Saidur Rahman, a field officer of Asia Energy Corporation of Bangladesh in Phulbari, filed the case [no 139C/2014] with Senior Judicial Magistrate Court of Md. Nazmul Hossain in Dinajpur after 15 days of the incident.
Golam Mortuza Sarker Manik, Mayor of Phulbari Municipality and convener of an anti coalmine body in Phulbari and local leaders of National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, including its convener Syed Saiful Islam Jewel, Member Secretary Joyprokash Gupta, SM Nuruzzaman former member of the committee, SM Kayyum and Aminul Islam and former upazila Chairman of Phulbari Upazila Parishad have been accused in the case.
Other accused of the case were unidentified, said Saidur Rahman.
The court directed the Officer-in Charge of Phulbari Police Station to record the case.
OC ABM Rezaul Islam said that they are yet to receive the court order copy. He, however, learnt about it from different sources.
Meanwhile, the move to sue the leaders of anti-coalmine protesters in Phulbari has triggered a fresh anger among the local people. Saiful Islam Jewel, Convener of Phulbari unit of National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, said that they were not worried about the case filed against them.
‘We are worried about the government’s slow pace to implement our demands’, he said.
The leaders of the committee called for a rally to realize their demands by December 2.
Their demands including expelling of the Asia Energy company from Bangladesh and arrest warrant against its Chief Executive Gary Lye.
Phulbari Municipality Mayor Golam Mortuza Sarker Manik said that they have been giving a clear message to the officials of the oil company and government about their anti-coalmine sentiment. The situation went wild in Phulbari upazila of Dinajpur following a visit of Gary Lye, Chief Executive of Asia Energy Corporation of Bangladesh, in the project site on November 24.
Protesting his visit, the anti coalmine protesters attacked the Asia Energy office and went on rampage smashing the glass made windowpanes. Two jeeps and a pickup van also damaged during the attack. Since after the attack policemen have been guarding the office.
