Staff Reporter :
Prime Minister’s Energy Adviser Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said on Sunday, UNESCO has given its nod to Rampal coal-fired power plant near the Sundarbans after getting consent from 12 countries without vote in this regard.
The UN organisation has also moved away from its previous direction of halting the project work requesting the government to start the project work after environmental assessments, said the adviser at a press briefing at Bidyut Bhaban in the city.
He, however, said that UNESCO gave the government some conditions to fulfil those for constructing the power plant. “The achievement become possible under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” the adviser said.
The Energy Ministry arranged the press briefing to clearly communicate the UNESCO decision and the government’s measures for protecting the Sundarbans.
Earlier on Thursday, a Foreign Ministry statement claimed that the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO had withdrawn its earlier objection to the construction of Rampal Power Plant Project at its current location.
The decision was taken at the 41st session of the World Heritage Committee being held in Krakow, Poland, the Foreign Ministry added.
A high-level inter-ministerial delegation, led by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Affairs Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury took part in the meeting to defend Bangladesh’s position.
But the National Committee to Protect Oil-Gas, Mineral Resources and Power-Port rejected the Foreign Ministry’s claim and reacted sharply and announced a fresh action programme reiterating its call to roll back the Rampal Power Project.
Other environmental groups, including the National Committee to Protect Sundarbans and Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan, contradicted the government’s statement saying that UNESCO`s withdrawal of objection to the Rampal Power Plant was not correct.
Meanwhile, State Minister Nasrul Hamid said the government would fulfil the conditions set by UNESCO for implementing the Rampal Power Plant Project near the Sundarbans.
He also claimed that UNESCO retreated from its earlier position that the plant cannot be built at Rampal, but gave Bangladesh some conditions regarding its construction.
