Niko bid to shift pontoon from Tengratila-Doarabazar road resisted
An attempt of Niko, a Canadian exploration company, to shift a pontoon from Shantipur on Tengratila-Doarabazar road to elsewhere is being prevented by the inhabitants of several villages in four unions of Doarabazar upazila in Sunamganj district.
The pontoon at Shantipur is situated in between Tengratila gas field and Doarabazar town.
Over one lakh inhabitants of Banglabazar, Lakshmipur, Surma and Bhogla unions have no other alternate road to go to the upazila headquarters. So, they have taken a vow to prevent any move to shift the pontoon elsewhere. Moreover, it is the lone road link towards the border camps and villages.
The Niko authorities have sent a letter to the local administration seeking permission to remove the pontoon recently.
While starting the preparatory work for drilling the Tengratila Gas field, Niko set the pontoon in 2004. Earlier, the company took the 300 feet long pontoon from the Roads and Highways Department on rent.
The Canadian company had already shifted equipment as well as manpower from Tengratila Gas field till the end of 2006. In recent months, they reduced their establishment at the abandoned gas field at Tengratila in a pretext of recurring blowouts. The blowouts occurred at the gas field on January 7 and June 24 in 2005.
Tengratila Dabi Aday Sangram Parishad leaders have alleged that the authorities floated tenders for construction of three bridges including one at Shantipur on Tengratila-Doarabazar road in 2003. It is the lone road for communication of over one lakh people of the backward region attached to the Indian hilly region.
But Niko, in a hurried attempt, set up the pontoon up for their own interest and assured the locals of arranging a bridge within a short time. Locals protested to it and requested the government for construction of a bridge. But, the Niko officials, in several negotiation meetings, assured the people to construct a bridge within a short period. As a temporary arrangement, they set up the pontoon which is being used by the locals.
Freedom fighter Azim Uddin master, Convener of the Tengratila Dabi Aday Sangram Parishad said the Canadian company had cheated them in many ways. If they try to remove the pontoon before construction of a bridge at Shantipur, people will resist it at any cost as thousands of people use it daily.
Removal of the pontoon will halt the road communication also, he said. Over one lakh inhabitants of the villages in Banglabazar, Lakshmipur, Surma and Bhogla unions have no other alternative for going to the upazila headquarters. Besides, it is the lone road link towards border camps and villages, he added.
An official at Niko Gas Field Camp Office at Tengratila said the decision had been taken in the company's Dhaka office. We have already informed them about reaction of local people. But, they are yet to take any decision in this regard, he said.
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