NAFSO join with Indians to Condemn the brutal attack to Sundarban protesters at Bangladesh!

The peaceful protest march organised by the "Save Oil, Gas, Minerals, Electricity and Ports Committee" towards the Bangladesh PM’s office which started from the National Press Club, Dhaka in the morning on July 28 was met with brute force by the police with protesters being lathi charged and tear gassed as they pushed past the barricades put in by the police.

Groups across India are condemning the brutal attack on activists and concerned citizens in Bangladesh on July 28, 2016. Protesters were marching to the Prime Ministers office in Dhaka to urge her to shut down the Rampal Coal-firedPower Plant that is coming up only 14 KMs from theSundarbans, and a mere 4 KMs from the Ecologically Critical Area, threatening massive environmental damage.

Indian communities, including the fishing communities, have a long history of resistance to extremely polluting coal mines and coal-fired power plants, and won several such struggles. The massive adverse impacts that these projects have had on the lives of people and surrounding environment is well known and documented.

Indian govt is playing a huge role in this project as the joint venture company building the plant, the Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company Ltd (BIFPCL) has India’s state owned NTPC owning 50% equity in the project, with Bangladesh Power DevelopmentBoardowning the other half. Furthermore, the main finance for the project (70% or approx 1.6 billion dollars and counting) will come from the Indian Export Import Bank. Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) will supply all major equipment for the project. A few weeks ago, BHEL and BIFPCL signed the EPC Contract (Engineering, Procurement and Construction).

For years, citizen's groups, environmentalists, lawyers, students etc. have been lobbying the government ofBangladesh to put a stop to the Rampal Power Plant. But the Rampal Power Project or the PM’s “Pet Project” has been steadily making progress with the EPC agreement being signed a few weeks ago.

We stand in solidarity with our friends across the border and strongly condemn the attack on them by theBangladeshgovernment. We also demand that the Bangladesh government stop using all undemocratic means to deal with legitimate people's protests.

Sundarbans, the world's largest contiguous mangroves, is shared between Bangladesh and India, and the international border is only a political line on the map. Pollution from the Rampal (and other) coal power plant will harm numerous people on both sides. Communities primarily dependent on the ecological resources of Sundarban, like fishing communities, will be worst affected. Considering this threat to both India and Bangladesh, we also demand that the Indian Govt withdraw from this potentially disastrous project.

Pradip Chatterjee,

President.