Nat'l committee ready to talk 'on condition'
Sunday, 20 September 2009
The national committee has said it would accept any formal invitation of the government to sit in discussion, provided the proceedings of gas exploration deals with two foreign companies are halted, reports bdnews24.com.
Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah, convener of the National Committee on Protection of Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, a public pressure group backed by left-leaning parties, told reporters at a press conference Saturday that a parliamentary committee had asked for talks.
"But the request came through the newspapers; there has been no formal invitation at a fixed date and time."
"On the other hand, the government has asked the two companies to complete the contract procedures immediately."
"In this situation asking us to discussion is cheating," Shahidullah said.
The press conference where leaders of left parties and supporters of the movement were also present was held at Mukti Bhaban at Paltan in the city.
Regarding the cooperation of the large political parties with their movement against foreign oil-gas deals, Shahidullah said, "We neither lean for support on any party, whether known as 'anti-liberation' or 'communal', nor back either with our movement." The citizen's group recently enforced a half-day hartal in capital Dhaka, the first in nearly three years, in protest against two Bay exploration deals with US-based ConocoPhuillips and Irish Tullow Oil Ltd.
The leaders of the movement, during the hartal on September 14, gave the government until October 15 to meet their five-point charter of demands including cancelling the deals that they claimed gave the two companies the right to export 80 per cent of any gas extracted.
Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah, convener of the National Committee on Protection of Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, a public pressure group backed by left-leaning parties, told reporters at a press conference Saturday that a parliamentary committee had asked for talks.
"But the request came through the newspapers; there has been no formal invitation at a fixed date and time."
"On the other hand, the government has asked the two companies to complete the contract procedures immediately."
"In this situation asking us to discussion is cheating," Shahidullah said.
The press conference where leaders of left parties and supporters of the movement were also present was held at Mukti Bhaban at Paltan in the city.
Regarding the cooperation of the large political parties with their movement against foreign oil-gas deals, Shahidullah said, "We neither lean for support on any party, whether known as 'anti-liberation' or 'communal', nor back either with our movement." The citizen's group recently enforced a half-day hartal in capital Dhaka, the first in nearly three years, in protest against two Bay exploration deals with US-based ConocoPhuillips and Irish Tullow Oil Ltd.
The leaders of the movement, during the hartal on September 14, gave the government until October 15 to meet their five-point charter of demands including cancelling the deals that they claimed gave the two companies the right to export 80 per cent of any gas extracted.