The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a discussion meeting demanded ban on exporting country's oil, gas, coal and other byproducts by formulating a law immediately.

They also urged the government not to allow open mining destroying country's land, environment and economy even on an experimental basis.

They were speaking at a discussion meeting organised by National Committee for Protection of Oil, Gas, Natural Resources, Power and Port at National Press Club yesterday.

Presided over by Eng Sheikh Shahidullah, convener of the committee, eminent economist Prof Dr Anu Mohammad and Hossain Munsur, among others, participated in the discussion. Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon, economist Dr Kholiquzzaman also attended the programme while Prof M Shamshul Alam presented keynote paper.

Protesting the interference of the donor agencies, including International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) in country's economic policy, Prof Dr Anu Mohammad questioned who has given them such rights.

He said, '' In these days of advancement in science and technology, it is possible to produce coal without destroying the soil of the underground in the name of open mining.''

We can easily meet our energy demand in these safe ways of coal mining instead of 'destructive' open mining, he observed.

Referring to the 80 per cent preservation of the total mineral resources by the Indian government, Hossain Munsur said, ''People want coal mining only for their interest and they do not want coal exports even at the cost of their own lives which they proved at Kansat.

Prof M Shamshul Alam in his keynote paper alleged that Tk 30 thousand crore was sent abroad by decreasing the royalty from 20 per cent to 6 per cent without bank guarantee.

He termed this as one of the biggest corruptions in energy and power sector of the country.

When the government is conducting massive drives against corruption, some vested quarters became very active with coal policy and open mining of the Asian Energy, he stated.

He suggested the government to strengthen the state-owned BAPEX and introduce more such organisations for the protection of highly valuable natural resources.

Otherwise, the interests of the nation could not be protected, he warned.