Fast-unto-death programme called off
Saturday, 13 March 2010
DINAJPUR, Mar 12 (UNB): Victims of land subsidence in Barapukuria coal mine area withdrew their fast-unto-death programme Friday following fruitful discussion with the district administration and the coal mine authorities.
About 2,000 inhabitants of several affected villages under the banner 'Committee to Save Life and Property' began the fast-unto-death in front of the main gate of Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Ltd (BCMCL) Wednesday demanding compensation and permanent rehabilitation. About 45 people fell sick during the strike.
Ibrahim Khalil, convener of the committee, said they called off their hunger strike at about 5:00pm after a two-hour meeting held at the BCMCL training hall room.
He said the authorities assured them of compensation and permanent rehabilitation before June.
"State Minister for Environment and Forest Mustafizur Rahman Fizar also assured us of meeting our demands over mobile phone," he said.
Additional Deputy Commissioner M Makbul Hossain, BCMCL General Manager (Coal Project) Mir Abdul Matin, Deputy GMs ABM Quamurazzaman and Abdul Jalil, Additional Superintendent of Police Shawkat Ali and Parbatipur UNO M Mujib-ul-Ferdous, among others, attended the meeting.
The affected landowners said about 2,600 families of the area had been living under the risk of the land subsidence since the production started at the coalmine in 2004.
They said that since then nearly three-fourths of 11 villages in the area developed cracks and several 100 acres of land had caved in.
About 2,000 inhabitants of several affected villages under the banner 'Committee to Save Life and Property' began the fast-unto-death in front of the main gate of Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Ltd (BCMCL) Wednesday demanding compensation and permanent rehabilitation. About 45 people fell sick during the strike.
Ibrahim Khalil, convener of the committee, said they called off their hunger strike at about 5:00pm after a two-hour meeting held at the BCMCL training hall room.
He said the authorities assured them of compensation and permanent rehabilitation before June.
"State Minister for Environment and Forest Mustafizur Rahman Fizar also assured us of meeting our demands over mobile phone," he said.
Additional Deputy Commissioner M Makbul Hossain, BCMCL General Manager (Coal Project) Mir Abdul Matin, Deputy GMs ABM Quamurazzaman and Abdul Jalil, Additional Superintendent of Police Shawkat Ali and Parbatipur UNO M Mujib-ul-Ferdous, among others, attended the meeting.
The affected landowners said about 2,600 families of the area had been living under the risk of the land subsidence since the production started at the coalmine in 2004.
They said that since then nearly three-fourths of 11 villages in the area developed cracks and several 100 acres of land had caved in.