Half-day hartal called in city on Sept 14
Friday, 11 September 2009
FE Report
The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports will observe a half-day hartal on September 14 (Monday) in the capital to press the government to scrap its decision to lease out offshore gas blocks to foreign companies.
This will be the first general strike since the Awami League-led grand coalition government took office earlier this year.
The announcement for the next week's 6:00am to 12:00pm shutdown came at a rally near Shishu Park (Children's Park) at Shahbagh in the city, where police intercepted the activists of the committee who were street-marching towards the Prime Minister's office (PMO).
On the same day, the committee will also lay siege to upazila nirbahi officer and deputy commissioner offices across the country to press home their demands, said its Convener Engineer Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah in his speech.
Shahidullah said the committee would call a national convention after the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr to announce their next course of action.
The half-day hartal has also been be enforced to protest against the police attack on the demonstrators during their September 2 attempt to besiege Petrobangla Headquarters over recent exploration deals with two international companies.
Dozens of activists of the committee including its leader Professor Anu Muhammad were injured in the police clubbing.
Earlier Thursday, activists and leaders of the public protest group began their scheduled street-march from the city's Muktangan at 12:30pm in protest against leasing out of the three offshore blocks and export of natural gas.
The marchers were due to arrive near the PMO via Jatiya Press Club, Shahbagh, Bangla Motor and Karwan Bazar crossings. But riot police stopped them near Shishu Park, where the protestors staged peaceful demonstration for sometime.
The government last month decided to award two offshore blocks to the US-based oil company Conoco Phillips and the Irish company Tullow for oil and gas exploration in the Bay of Bengal with a provision of allowing them to export up to 80 per cent of gas, which angered the anti-imperialist group.
The national committee launched the protest programme against the government decision, as it feared such move would threaten the energy security of Bangladesh.
It has been staging protest programmes to denounce the government's decision to lease out three gas blocks to American and Irish companies.
They have already held rallies in different parts of the capital in support of their demand.
Bangladesh is already facing up to 250 million cubic feet gas shortage every day, forcing the government to ask energy authorities not to allow any new gas connections.
The country's agriculture and industrial production are immensely suffering due to acute electricity crisis triggered by poor supply of gas to the gas-fired power plants, analysts said.
Currently, Sangu gas field, operated by Britain's Cairn Energy, is the country's lone operating offshore gas field.
The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports will observe a half-day hartal on September 14 (Monday) in the capital to press the government to scrap its decision to lease out offshore gas blocks to foreign companies.
This will be the first general strike since the Awami League-led grand coalition government took office earlier this year.
The announcement for the next week's 6:00am to 12:00pm shutdown came at a rally near Shishu Park (Children's Park) at Shahbagh in the city, where police intercepted the activists of the committee who were street-marching towards the Prime Minister's office (PMO).
On the same day, the committee will also lay siege to upazila nirbahi officer and deputy commissioner offices across the country to press home their demands, said its Convener Engineer Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah in his speech.
Shahidullah said the committee would call a national convention after the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr to announce their next course of action.
The half-day hartal has also been be enforced to protest against the police attack on the demonstrators during their September 2 attempt to besiege Petrobangla Headquarters over recent exploration deals with two international companies.
Dozens of activists of the committee including its leader Professor Anu Muhammad were injured in the police clubbing.
Earlier Thursday, activists and leaders of the public protest group began their scheduled street-march from the city's Muktangan at 12:30pm in protest against leasing out of the three offshore blocks and export of natural gas.
The marchers were due to arrive near the PMO via Jatiya Press Club, Shahbagh, Bangla Motor and Karwan Bazar crossings. But riot police stopped them near Shishu Park, where the protestors staged peaceful demonstration for sometime.
The government last month decided to award two offshore blocks to the US-based oil company Conoco Phillips and the Irish company Tullow for oil and gas exploration in the Bay of Bengal with a provision of allowing them to export up to 80 per cent of gas, which angered the anti-imperialist group.
The national committee launched the protest programme against the government decision, as it feared such move would threaten the energy security of Bangladesh.
It has been staging protest programmes to denounce the government's decision to lease out three gas blocks to American and Irish companies.
They have already held rallies in different parts of the capital in support of their demand.
Bangladesh is already facing up to 250 million cubic feet gas shortage every day, forcing the government to ask energy authorities not to allow any new gas connections.
The country's agriculture and industrial production are immensely suffering due to acute electricity crisis triggered by poor supply of gas to the gas-fired power plants, analysts said.
Currently, Sangu gas field, operated by Britain's Cairn Energy, is the country's lone operating offshore gas field.