Staff Reporter :
Prof Anu Mohammad, the Member Secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Power, Port and Natural Resources, said on Sunday that the proposed Rampal Power Plant should be cancelled since it would destroy the entire Sundarbans.
He said it in a meeting between green activists and Power Division on the much-debated Rampal coal-fired power plant project that ended inconclusively on Sunday.
Both sides first tried to convince each other during the three-hour meeting, but they finally stuck to their own guns on the Rampal Power Plant issue.
After the meeting at Biduyt Bhaban, State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid, who led the Power Division team, told reporters that they would sit further, if necessary, with the environmentalists, as such ‘dialogue’ will continue.
He said that the Power Division arranged the meeting to remove some misconceptions about the Rampal project.
He said that the selection of Rampal was part of strategy to bring prudence in power distribution.
“We can only discuss the alternative location of the Rampal Power Plant project. Or else, such discussion is meaningless. Besides,
this power plant will become a source of rivalry in the relations between Bangladesh and India,” Prof. Anu Muhammad said.
Former caretaker government Advisor Advocate Sultana Kamal, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Prof MM Akash, Prof Badrul Iman, Dr MA Matin of Paribesh Andolon and Rezwana Hasan of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) were, among others present in the team of environmentalists.
Power Secretary Monwar Islam, Power Cell DG Mohammad Hossain,
Department of Environment Director Syed Nazmul Ahsan and Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Ltd (BIFPC) Managing Director Uzzal Kumar Bhattacharya spoke on behalf of the Power Division and the government side.
Sultana Kamal said, the government is resorting to tricks in implementing the Rampal Power Plant as it is discussing it with environmentalists on the one hand and keep implementing the project on the other.
She said, the Environmental Ministry has not yet given the environmental clearance to the project, but the Power Division is carrying out works project, ignoring that. If the Environment Ministry finally refuses to give the clearance, then what will happen?
Dr MM Akash said it is surprising that the government is moving ahead with the plan without determining its cost of electricity, even without determining the source of coal to be imported for the plant. “As a result, the cost of the power plant will go up further.”
Prof Anu Mohammad, the Member Secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Power, Port and Natural Resources, said on Sunday that the proposed Rampal Power Plant should be cancelled since it would destroy the entire Sundarbans.
He said it in a meeting between green activists and Power Division on the much-debated Rampal coal-fired power plant project that ended inconclusively on Sunday.
Both sides first tried to convince each other during the three-hour meeting, but they finally stuck to their own guns on the Rampal Power Plant issue.
After the meeting at Biduyt Bhaban, State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid, who led the Power Division team, told reporters that they would sit further, if necessary, with the environmentalists, as such ‘dialogue’ will continue.
He said that the Power Division arranged the meeting to remove some misconceptions about the Rampal project.
He said that the selection of Rampal was part of strategy to bring prudence in power distribution.
“We can only discuss the alternative location of the Rampal Power Plant project. Or else, such discussion is meaningless. Besides,
this power plant will become a source of rivalry in the relations between Bangladesh and India,” Prof. Anu Muhammad said.
Former caretaker government Advisor Advocate Sultana Kamal, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Prof MM Akash, Prof Badrul Iman, Dr MA Matin of Paribesh Andolon and Rezwana Hasan of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) were, among others present in the team of environmentalists.
Power Secretary Monwar Islam, Power Cell DG Mohammad Hossain,
Department of Environment Director Syed Nazmul Ahsan and Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Ltd (BIFPC) Managing Director Uzzal Kumar Bhattacharya spoke on behalf of the Power Division and the government side.
Sultana Kamal said, the government is resorting to tricks in implementing the Rampal Power Plant as it is discussing it with environmentalists on the one hand and keep implementing the project on the other.
She said, the Environmental Ministry has not yet given the environmental clearance to the project, but the Power Division is carrying out works project, ignoring that. If the Environment Ministry finally refuses to give the clearance, then what will happen?
Dr MM Akash said it is surprising that the government is moving ahead with the plan without determining its cost of electricity, even without determining the source of coal to be imported for the plant. “As a result, the cost of the power plant will go up further.”
