Miner workers including the Barapukuria Coal Mine Workers and Employees Union (CBA) have launched a 6-point protest to save the Barapukuria coal mine in Dinajpur from destruction.
The Barapukuria Workers and Employees Union held a press conference at the CBA office at 11 am on Monday and raised this demand.
At the press conference, a written statement was read out under the chairmanship of Abul Kashem Sikder, President of the Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Ltd. Workers' and Employees Union, and CBA General Secretary Jahangir Alam. Among others, Mine Workers' Union President Raihanul Islam, labor leader Rabiul Islam, and others spoke at the press conference.
Speakers at the press conference said that a conspiracy is underway to close the country's only profitable state-owned coal mine by showing losses in a planned manner. They alleged that the coal produced by the mine is not being used due to the partial or complete closure of the Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant for a long time.
As a result, a large amount of coal is stored in the coal yard at a high risk. On the other hand, the mine is in extreme financial crisis as the only buyer, PDB, is paying $91-107 per ton of coal instead of the $176 set by the government. As a result, the mine's outstanding debts have reached about Tk 1,200 crore.
The speakers said that while the price of Barapukuria coal in the open market is more than $200, an attempt is being made to show the mine losses by reducing the price irrationally. As a result, about 20-25 thousand families will be directly and indirectly affected if the mine is closed.
At the press conference, the labor leaders raised six demands. These include - permission to sell coal in the local market, redetermination of the price of PDB coal, stopping the management of the mining board by officials of the power department, stopping unreasonable price reductions and ensuring that the mine will not be closed.
The labor leaders warned of a tough movement, including blocking roads and railways, if their demands were not met. Leaders of all levels of the Workers' and Employees' Unions and the Mine Workers' Union were present at the press conference.
