Agitation for compensation mounts again as govt mum

They brought out processions in the area, held rallies and besieged the gas field office for four hours yesterday and two hours on the day before to press their 6-point demand.

They will hold similar demonstrations today and lay a siege to the gas field office for six hours from 6am, leaders of the Parishad said.

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During yesterday' siege programme, villagers under the banner of Tengratila Dabi Aday Sangram Parishad kept the main gate of the gas field complex locked for four hours from 10 am, keeping officials and staff inside.

Field Manager of Canadian company Niko and other staff could not come out of the compound during the siege.

At the rallies on both days, speakers said the local affected people would continue till their just demands are met.

Azimuddin, convener of the Parishad chaired the rallies on both days. The speakers included Shamsul Alam, Union Parishad members Md. Shahjahan and Hossain Ali, Hajrat Ali, Abdul Motaleb, Abdus Salam, Nasir Uddin, Abdur Razzaque, Badsha Miah and Abdus Samad.

They called upon the authorities to accept their 6-point demand or to face tougher agitation.

The demands include payment of Tk 84 crore in compensation for environmental damage, proper compensation to 611

families and inclusion of more 28 earlier dropped from the list of families affected by the blowouts, employment for locals in the gas filed, establishment of a gas based 50 MW power plant near Tengratila, arrangement for supply of safe water to villages and setting up of a health complex in the area.

The affected people around Tengratila gas field did not get

compensation a year after the second blowout that took place in the field on the night of June 24 last year.

The first blowout took place on January 27 last year during drilling a well. The blowout sent flames up to 50 feet, creating panic in the area.

After the first blowout, about 600 families were evacuated from villages adjoining the gas field and asked to stay away for three months. They were paid Tk 6000 per family per month and assured of compensation for damage to their property including croplands, water bodies and gardens.

As the compensation was not settled, they started agitation.

The government is yet to settle the matter, a year after the second blowout, which triggered agitation again.

The government and the Canadian company are virtually silent on payment of compensation.

Even, the authorities are yet to settle realisation of compensation for the burnt out gas as well as the environmental damage, which has been estimated by a high level technical committee formed by the government.