Teachers, human rights defenders, columnists and cultural activists on Sunday asked the government to scrap the deal with US oil company ConocoPhillips as it goes against the national interest.
The concerned citizens, at a press conference organized by cultural platform Sangskritik Moncho, expressed solidarity with the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port which has called a
half-day hartal on
July 3.
They also made seven demands at the conference.
Speakers demanded that the people's ownership and control of the natural resources of the country should be ensured and export of oil, gas and coal should be prohibited by enacting relevant laws in this regard.
They also demanded extraction of oil and gas in a manner which will develop the nation's productive forces and meet the requirement of the people, the publication of all production sharing contracts with international oil companies, scrapping of all inequitable PSCs and realization of compensation from Niko and Chevron for the disasters in the gas-fields of Tengratila and Magurchhara.
Nasima Akhter Hossain, professor of the department of government and politics of Jahangirnagar University, termed the strike programme 'just' as it would involve more
people to protect the
country's natural resources by raising their awareness.
Recalling the role of the United States during the country's liberation war, she termed the persons who were involved in signing a deal which will allow a US oil company to export Bangladesh's
gas 'Rajakars' (collaborators).
Indicating the Awami league and BNP, human rights activist Rehnuma Ahmed said that the country's cultural movement was divided into two streams, the so-called pro-liberation and anti-liberation streams, which
were propagating wrong messages to the
people through their activities.
She asked the patriotic cultural activists to launch a mass movement against all activities that go against the national interest.
Leaders of the platform expressed strong determination to continue the movement until
their demands remains fulfilled.
Source : New Age
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