The Phulbari branch of the National Committee for the Protection of Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports has warned of renewed mass movement if open-pit coal mining proceeds at the Phulbari coal mine in Dinajpur.
At a press conference Saturday, convener Syed Saiful Islam Jewel said the organization would not accept any decision that violates the "6-point Phulbari Agreement" secured through the 2006 movement.
Jewel recalled that on August 26, 2006 residents protested to protect their homes, farmland and groundwater from the mining project, during which Tariqul, Salekin and Amin were killed in police firing. The subsequent agreement with the government has never been fully implemented, he said.
The committee alleged that recent government statements suggest open-pit mining could resume, with multinational company GCM Resources (formerly Asia Energy) attempting to revive the project by citing the country's power and energy crisis.
Leaders said expert committee reports have repeatedly warned that open-pit mining could cause long-term damage to groundwater, farmland, settlements and the environment.
The press conference demanded full implementation of the 2006 agreement, cancellation of open-pit mining plans, GCM Resources's expulsion from the country and withdrawal of cases filed against protesters.
Jewel said the national committee's alternative energy proposal could resolve the country's energy crisis without mining, warning that pursuing open-pit extraction would trigger a larger nationwide movement.
Former national committee leaders SM Nuruzzaman and Abdul Majid Chowdhury along with Phulbari movement leaders Hamidul Haque, MA Qayum and Sanjit Kumar Jitu attended the event.
