The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports and a combine of left-leaning political parties in separate statements on Sunday hit back at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her criticism of the committee for calling hartal in protest against the deal with ConocoPhillips and accused her of resorting to lies.
The convener of the national committee, Sheikh Muhammad Shaheedullah, and member-secretary, Anu Muhammad, in a statement defended its action programme, saying 'a half-day strike has been called for July 3 in the capital to protect national interests as most of the extracted gas will be exported according to the deal signed with the US company'.
The prime mister on Saturday castigated the national committee for calling hartal to press for cancellation of the deal signed between Petrobangla and ConocoPhillips for extraction of gas from two offshore blocks on Thursday.
Referring to the prime minister's comments that the national committee activists had not been active during national crises in the past, the statement said that many of the committee members had taken part in the movements in the then East Pakistan and in the War of Independence in 1971.
Since its inception over a decade ago, the committee has always been on the streets to safeguard the country's natural resources.
During BNP's rule, it held several 'long marches' to oppose its bid to export gas to India from the Bibiana gas-field, the statement said.
The committee also opposed BNP government's bid to lease out the container terminal at Chittagong port to a US company, it said.
Moreover, the committee spearheaded the Phulbari movement in 2006, to prevent coal extraction by the open-pit method by Asia Energy.
It reminded the prime minister that the then BNP government was compelled to sign a six-point deal with the national committee to stop the process and the then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina in a rally at Phulbari warned the government of dire consequences if the agreement was not implemented.
But after coming to power more than two and a half years ago, Sheikh Hasina's government has not yet implemented the agreement, the committee said.
About the prime minister's call on the national committee to take the responsibility of solving gas and power crisis, the committee said that the energy ministry should be freed from the grip of corrupt officials and lobbyists of foreign oil companies.
Leaders of Democratic Left Alliance, a combine of the left leaning political parties, in a separate statement also censured the prime minister for her criticism of the activities of the national committee.
They called upon the prime mister to reconsider the deals signed with ConocoPhillips as 'it is contrary to national interests.'
Source : New Age
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