The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Debate is raging among people on the issue of coal extraction in the northern area of the country. The sections for and against coal mining brand each other agents of foreign countries and organisations.

Engineer Md Fazlul Haq, former member of Power Development Board (PDB), yesterday at a discussion meeting in the city said, "The progress of the country could not be achieved without industrialisation of greater Rangpur-Dinajpur regions. As power is important for industrialisation, the northern zone could get it from their coal mines."

As it is difficult for the Government to finance coal extraction he further said it could take nongovernmental or foreign aid.

To develop Rangpur and Dinajpur, he pleaded for the implementation of all the pending proposals with Asia Energy immediately. Fazlul believes that the coal, which can be extracted through open pit mining system, would help meet the growing demand of electricity in the region.

Greater Rangpur-Dinajpur Industry-Business Development Forum sees the division in the opinion of some people on the issue of coal extraction as ploy to make the political field volatile. It believes that some black power were backing these persons.

The organisation, however, hoped, joint discussion between them and the other party could help work out the problem.

When the New Nation contacted Prof Anu Mohammad, Member Secretary of National Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources Protection Committee, about the possibility of sitting for talks with the Forum he put forward two conditions.

"We will talk only when the Phulbari contract with Asia Energy will be scrapped," he said and added, "When we are assured of 100 per cent use of extracted coal for our country."

He thinks that open mining will cause severe damage to our country. As we are densely populated and river are connected with each other like web of a net, pollution will spread out all over the country easily which in turn would harm people of the country severely.

Anu said,"As we will be able to extract huge amount of coal in excess of our demand by the open pit mining system, there is a possibility of smuggling of coal to neighbouring countries."

Two years ago people of Phulbari and adjoining upazilas joined a peaceful programme to lay siege to the office of Asia Energy Corporation (AEC), a UK-based company in Phulbari, when the law enforcers intercepted them a clash ensued in which three people died on August 26.