Villagers stop Unocal's work in Bibiyana

They earlier held a rally at Nadampur High School ground, where the speakers said the villagers would not allow any work on their lands before payment of 'proper' compensation.

The rally was attended by people from 10 nearby villages including Mostafapur, Karimpur, Bokhtarpur, Baniun, Latifpur, Nadampur, Pirijpur, Kakura and Mansurpur.

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After the rally, the villagers in a procession came to the site where workers engaged by Bengal Development Corporation, were doing the earthwork. The Bangladeshi company was doing the work on behalf of Unocal.

The villagers asked the workers to stop work and leave the place. They did so, sources and witnesses said.

Seeing the procession, some Unocal officials including Bibiyana Gas Field in-charge Harry Weatherspoon left the area, the witnesses said.

The rally, chaired by Acting chairman of Inatganj Union Parishad Md Boyetullah, was addressed by, among others, local union BNP President Abul Kalam Azad, General Secretary Tofazzal

Hossain, Awami League leaders Abdur Rouf, Siraj Miah and Toufique Ahmed and Upazila Krishak Dal President Afil Uddin.

Main Uddin, Prokash Uddin, Abdul Quaiyum Abdul Malik, Abdul Latif Tenu, Syed Tojommul Ali also spoke from among the land owners.

The speakers said, they are ready to sacrifice their valuable ancestral homesteads and lands for development of the gas field in the interest of the country.

But, we want proper price of lands as per law, they said.

They alleged that some government officials were trying to "cheat" the landowners in compensation payment, which will be resisted.

The government has started the process to acquire 50 acres of land in the area near Sunamganj-Aushkandi and Syedpur-Inatganj roads for development of the gas field.

The speakers said the compensation offered by the officials is lower than that paid by the same company in 1997 for lands near a riverbank.

They demanded price equal to that offered when lands were acquired for the North Pad of Bibiyana Gas Field.

When contacted, a Unocal official seeking anonymity admitted that villagers stopped the earthwork. Mentionably, Habiganj Deputy Commissioner Emdadul Haque visited the area on Sunday, assured the people of proper compensation and requested the people not to "disturb" Unocal men.