'Shut down rental power plants'
A procession of National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports faces a police barricade at Purana Paltan in the city yesterday while demanding for, among others, cancellation of oil-based rental power plants and repairs of state-owned power plants.Photo: STAR
Speakers at a rally yesterday demanded shutting down of rental and quick rental power plants and reopening of the closed national power plants to meet the country's power demands. Launching of quick rental and rental power plants are adding some 3,000 megawatt (MW) power to the national grid at the expense of some Tk 20,000 crore, Prof Anu Mohammad noted. If the national power plants were repaired and renewed and the gas wells reactivated, people would get some 2,100 MW power at Tk 1,000 crore expenditure, he added. “We are ready to deal with load-shedding due to the shortage but not agreed to give huge amount of money to capitalists”, said Engr Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah, convener of National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power, and Ports. The committee organised the protest rally pressing the government seven-point demand in front of Jatiya Press Club in the city. Prof Anu, also member secretary of the committee, said, “There wouldn't be a need to import more oil or raise the price of gas and oil and the country's economy wouldn't have to face trouble if the government listened to their suggestion earlier.” The government is taking anti-state decision to protect the interest of capitalists, he added. The committee will march towards Jatiya Sangsad from Jatiya Press Club in February to press the government for passing an act to ban the export of mineral resources. Activists of different political parties in the city participated in the rally.
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