Speakers at a rally yesterday urged the government to fully implement the Phulbari contract, driving out Asia Energy to protect the country's mineral resources including coal.
They also demanded prohibition on open-pit coal mining and enactment of a law restricting export of mineral resources.
The rally was organised by the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power, and Port at the Central Shaheed Minar in the city, says a press release.
Earlier, the committee and different political parties and social organisations laid wreaths at the memorial in observance of the Phulbari Day yesterday.
On August 26, 2006, at least three persons were killed and 70 others injured as police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) opened fire on people protesting the open-pit mining of Phulbari coal.
The political parties, most of them leftist, expressed solidarity with the demands of the national committee.
Prof MM Akash of Dhaka University, Bimal Biswas of Workers Party of Bangladesh, Ruhin Hossen Prince of Communist Party of Bangladesh, and Saiful Haque of Biplobi Workers Party, among others, spoke at the rally.
Source : The Daily Star
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