UNB, Dinajpur :
The residents of Phulbari on Saturday staged demonstration in protest against the renewed activities of Asia Energy, now renamed as Global Coal Management (GCM).
They also demanded the shutting of Asia Energy’s office in Phulbari and also withdrawal of the cases filed against the protesters.
Witnesses said a group of people under the banner of ‘Sammilito Peshajibi Sangathan’ brought a procession from Nimtala intersection of the upazila around 11am. After parading different streets they held a rally chanting different slogans.
They also threatened to enforce programmes like non-cooperation if their demands are not met immediately.
Meanwhile, additional police were deployed in the upazila headquarters to avert any untoward incident.
The Phulbari Coal Mine project had also got stalled amid strong protests by the local people in August 2006 that resulted in the deaths of six people in police firing.
Since then, the government has shelved the deal primarily to avert local protests but it did not cancel Asia Energy’s multi-billion dollar three-decade investment proposal to tap 572 million tonnes of high quality coal.
The residents of Phulbari on Saturday staged demonstration in protest against the renewed activities of Asia Energy, now renamed as Global Coal Management (GCM).
They also demanded the shutting of Asia Energy’s office in Phulbari and also withdrawal of the cases filed against the protesters.
Witnesses said a group of people under the banner of ‘Sammilito Peshajibi Sangathan’ brought a procession from Nimtala intersection of the upazila around 11am. After parading different streets they held a rally chanting different slogans.
They also threatened to enforce programmes like non-cooperation if their demands are not met immediately.
Meanwhile, additional police were deployed in the upazila headquarters to avert any untoward incident.
The Phulbari Coal Mine project had also got stalled amid strong protests by the local people in August 2006 that resulted in the deaths of six people in police firing.
Since then, the government has shelved the deal primarily to avert local protests but it did not cancel Asia Energy’s multi-billion dollar three-decade investment proposal to tap 572 million tonnes of high quality coal.
