Protect national interest
Photo: Akram Hosen
The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports has called for a half day hartal on July 3, in protest against government's signing of a production sharing contract with the US oil company ConcoPhillips on June 16, which is against the interest of the country. We think people from all walks of life should support them and make the strike successful because it is solely on their behalf. We are outraged by the government's intolerant attitude towards the protesters. They beat up the national committee leaders and activists and snatched away banners and placards from them. The committee is not politically motivated, its only aim is to protect our national resources; whenever needed, it came forward to resist the action of the government which could harm the country. The committee has forced the previous BNP led alliance government to discard a plan to engage Asia Energy for open-pit coal mining in Phulbari through a popular movement. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was then the leader of the opposition, went all the way to Phulbari to express her solidarity with the committee. Now people's interest has become less important to her. It is really very strange how their perception changes with the change of their position.
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