Meet 6-pt demand by Oct 31 or face agitation

Leaders of National Committee for Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port Protection in Phulbari upazila under the district yesterday warned of a yearlong agitation if the long-pending six-point agreement is not met.

Phulbari people have been urging the government to implement the six-point agreement signed in 2006, but the government is not paying any attention to it, Anu Mohammad, member secretary of the National Committee, said at a rally at Nimtolamor in Phulbari town yesterday.

The rally was held remembering the black day of August 26 in 2006, when law enforcers opened fire on anti Phulbari coalmine protesters, leaving three people dead and nearly 70 others injured.

The people of Bangladesh are the owner of its all asset and nobody can impose any decision that goes against them, Anu Mohammad said.

He also declared that his committee along with Phulbari people will place memorandum to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through the deputy commissioner of Dinajpur on October 7, urging her to implement the long-pending six-point demand.

"If the demand is not met within October 31, we will start our yearlong agitation on November 1, holding different programmes across the country.

Fifty thousand indigenous people will be displaced if the coalmine project is implemented, said Rabindranath Soren, president of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad.

Junayed Saki of Ganosonghati Andolon, Mosaraf Hossain Nannu of Communist League Bangladesh, Saiful Islam of Bangladesh Socialist Party also spoke at the rally. 

Earlier on the day, locals placed floral wreaths at the altar of the temporary memorial built on the Chhoto Jamuna River bank in Dinajpur town to pay tribute to the victims of August 26 tragedy in 2006.

Golam Mortuza Manik, mayor of Phulbari municipality, also an anti-coalmine protest organiser, administered an oath at the memorial to resist any coalmine project in Phulbari area at any cost.

At a rally organised by Sammilito Peshajibi Sangathan, the speakers said if necessary more people will sacrifice their lives to resist the coalmine project.