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Nationwide protests against Bashkhali Tragedy: Criminals for Coal-shooting Must be Prosecuted

Press statement by National Committee in Bangladesh has released the following statement on Bashkhali killing on 8th April 2016

 “We demand exemplary punishment for the persons responsible for killing innocent people. We also demand to scrap projects with irregularities, corruption, and threat to human livelihoods and environment including coal fired power plants in Bashkhali and Rampal.”

“Being a close ally of present ruling party, S. Alam group, a Bangladeshi business house, has managed to acquire a permission from the government to set up a 1224 MW capacity coal plant in a populated location in coastal area, Bashkhali, Chittagong. The area is well known for its salt farming along with various fish and agro-cultivation.

“S. Alam group signed an agreement with two Chinese companies, SEPCOIII Electric Power and HTG to set up a coal based power plant back in 2013.  On 16th February, 2016, the government of Bangladesh approved the deal and set a price to purchase electricity from S. Alam Group at a rate of BDT 6.61 per unit. S. Alam group managed to showcase a total of 600 acres of  land for this plant. As much as 75 percent of the investment is reported to be borne by Chinese lenders.

“It is important to note that, no environmental impact assessment(EIA) report has been prepared on this plant. In addition, incidents of fraudulence and lack of transparency was visible from the very beginning of the project. Along with 7 thousand households, the propsed landmass for the plant also includes around 70 mosques, grave yards, a technical education institution, around 20 cyclone shelter houses, 1 high school, 8 primary government schools, 2 Alia Madrassa, 5 kaomi Madrassa, 5 markets, and 1 government hospital. Despite of the existence of such intense locality, a total of only 150 households have been reported in the area by the local administration in order to be able to handover the land to S. Alam group.Massive level of illegal practices have also been observed on the dealings of land. A good number of people have been reported to be victimized by the fraudulence of the agents of S.Alam group.

“People of Gandamara Union have been protesting against the proposed plant along with range of illegal activities associated with land purchase/acquisition for long. Assaults and threats became common in the process. The local people had tried to negotiate over the choice of location of the plant, appealing to spare the heavily populated areas. On March 23rd, a peaceful protest was organized in the area with the presence of the officials from the administration, in which around 30 thousand people participated. They demanded to spare the heavily populated segments of the area from the already chosen location for the plant. On 2nd April, the local villagers attempted to obstruct the entry of the officials of the S.Alam group into the area, 7 locals were arrested based on the incidenton April 3rd. On April 4th, a protest was organized under the banner of “Boshot vita rokkha Committee” (committee to protect housholds) demanding the release of the arrested ones. Meanwhile, the paid locals of the company called for a counter program in the same location to spoil the event. Following the situation, a restriction was imposed by the local police administration. However, while the angry protestors continued to gather on the spot, around 30 to 40 goons hired by the company began to fire on the unarmed villagers. A large number of people were shot on the spot. At least 4 have been reported to be confirmed dead.

“We would like to ask, if the state chooses to call it ‘development’, then where is the Environmental Impact Assessment report? Why is this atrocity? How come there is no space for people’s opinion? Why is the government so afraid of protest? What sort of democracy is this in which the police administration and armed goons are consistently used to assault the people in protest?  We have seen it in phulbari. Now witnessing the same in Rampal coal project near Sundarban, Ruppur nuclear power plant and in Moheshkhali in Cox’s bazar.

“As long as assault, land grabbing, evicting people, and threat continue in the name of development, discontent would prevail. If the interest and consent of people are not prioritized, people will reject every so called development project.

“We demand exemplary punishment for the persons responsible for killing innocent unarmed people. We also demand to scrap projects with irregularities, corruption, and threat to human livelihoods and environment including coal fired power plants in bashkhali and Rampal. We call for a protest rally in Dhaka and Chittagong on 5 april and call for nationwide protest on April 8th, 2016 to express solidarity with the people in Bashkhali and to press the government to fulfill above demands.”

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#SavetheSundarbans Long March – Solidarity Meeting

The Sundarbans is Under Threat!

 

Long march to save the sundarbans March 12 to 15 2016

 

#SavetheSundarbans Long March – Solidarity Meeting in Support of Nationwide march 10-13 March 2016

Friday, 11 March @6:30pm at Montefiore Centre, Whitechapel, London E1 5HZ

 

Despite huge protests and deep concerns of conscious citizens, Bangladesh government has given license to two greedy corporations who want to build a large coal fired-plant in Rampal, which is the close vicinity of the Sundarbans, Bangladesh’s mangrove forest, a UNESCO Heritage and a beautiful home to rare and wild animals including Bangladesh’s well-known Tigers. Sundarbans means “the beautiful forests,” and it lives up to its name in both benefits and productivity. It is not only beautiful but also extraordinarily rich in biodiversity and productivity.

The Sundarbans is the single largest mangrove forest in the world. The Sundarbans has also been a huge natural safeguard against frequent cyclone, storm and other natural disasters in the country. In every natural disaster, the Sundarbans saves lives of hundreds of thousands of people, while nurturing a rich coastal ecosystem. The Sundarbans is vital for all of us on this planet to help counter climate change.

But the proposed Rampal Coal Power Project will destroy the Sundarbans and coastal ecosystem. The project is a highly contested joint venture by the Indian state owned National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Orion, a corporation owned by Bangladesh state owned Power Development Board (PDB). It needs to stop now.

Bangladeshi environmentalists are marching from Dhaka to Rampal to #savetheSundarbans.

A three-day long-march to #SavetheSundarbans will be held on 10-13 March, when people will walk from different regions to meet in Rampal and demonstrate against the deception and mass destruction. Organised by the National Committee to Protect Oil Gas Mineral Resources Port and Power, the main demand for this long march is to cancel ‘Rampal coal fired power plant’ and stop all activities that would destroy the Sundarbans.

In London, we are holding a solidarity meeting with the Bangladeshi marchers.

Join us with your friends to discuss ways to prevent mass destruction. Demand cancellation of the construction of the Rampal power plant.

Please confirm your participation here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1721329244770557/

For further information contact:   07956260791/07714288221, email: nationalcommittee.uk@googlemail.com

National Committee to Protect Oil Gas Mineral Resources Port and Power, UK branch, London

 

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Brave #Heathrow13 Won Massive Boost for the Movement to Stop Airport Expansion

  • Court took U-turn over a prison sentence in the face of huge community support to and solidarity with climate activists
  • 6 weeks suspended sentence for 12 months

By Rumana Hashem

The 13 amazing climate activists at Plane Stupid, who faced final sentencing on Wednesday for protesting against new runways and for attempting to protect the communities from catastrophic climate change, have won a massive boost for the movement to stop new runways in the UK. Although the brave #Heathrow13 were accused of aggravated trespass and entering restricted area of an aerodrome, the district judge was impressed by the defendants’ good character and commitment. They were given sentences of six weeks suspended for 12 months.

The thirteen activists were able to avert prison, following a remarkable protest of more than 300 climate activists who gathered outside the Willesden magistrates’ court in north-west London and demonstrated against the final sentencing of the #Heathrow13, and opposed possible expansion of the airport. The suspended sentence now means that if the 13 activists break the law within a year, they are likely to serve the sentence. This verdict is not fair judgement; however, it is undeniable that the court’s U-turn over a prison sentence was an outcome of the unprecedented support that the passionate #Heathrow13 had received from the community people.

 

The #Heathrow13 returns from the court by averting jail on 24 Feb 2016

The #Heathrow13 returns from the court by averting jail on 24 Feb 2016. Photo: Plane Stupid

During the trial at Willesden magistrates court in north-west London, over 300 passionate throng of protesters gathered outside the court while thousands of national and international climate activists had shown virtual support, and were vigilant online throughout the day. The support of community activists and environmentalists outside the court was powerful. Supporters had spilled into the road, waved banners protesting against a third runway at Heathrow, chanted slogans, and made robust speeches amid heavy state security. Speakers at the demo include Heathrow’s MP John McDonnell, and Green Party leader Caroline Lucas.

As the incredible #Heathrow13 defendants had argued, their actions were reasonable, proportionate and necessary to prevent death and serious injury via air pollution and climate change. They pointed out correctly that 31 people a year die prematurely around Heathrow due to its pollution, and thousands die due to the effects of climate change. Their trial  was not a great a outcome though what it means is that community volunteers will return to community work in near future.

In a published statement Plane Stupid  noted:

This is a huge relief for the activists and their families, and a massive boost for the movement to stop airport expansion. The court’s U-turn over a prison sentence is a vindication of the right to peaceful protest.

As they denounced that: It’s because of people power that we don’t have a third runway now. People power will stop new runways again. We’re in it for the long haul. “No ifs, no buts”.

Phulbari Solidarity Group stands with the #Heathrow13 and colleagues at Plane Stupid who will continue to work on to stop new runway at Heathrow. It is time to join our shoulders, and work hand in hand to prevent climate change and to protect our planet from destruction. Evidently, emissions from aviation are destroying people’s lives. People in the Heathrow area, who already have to breathe illegal levels of air pollution and suffer intolerable noise, would now see their homes destroyed. People across the UK have been flooded at Christmas, and every year hundreds of thousands more people die due to climate change – mostly in countries in the Global South, like Bangladesh, the people least responsible for emissions.

The UK Government is expected to make its decision on whether to expand Heathrow or Gatwick – or neither – this year. It is important for us to succeed to persuade the Government to act appropriately and to cancel new runways.  It’s one or the other: build new runways or protect us from climate chaos. The people in the Global South who are dying due to climate change already have no voice in the debate. We can show them that jailing peaceful protesters will not silence those of us who do.

Therefore, we need to continue to show our support to #Heathrow13 and the campaign against airport  expansion.

Read more here to learn how to take action

Watch the video

Further news  coverage is below:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/feb/24/heathrow-13-climate-change-protesters-avoid-jail

 

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Support the #Heathrow13, Join Demo – Stop Airport Expansion

By Rumana Hashem

On Wednesday, 24 February 2016, the #Heathrow13 will return to court for final sentencing. The brave 13 activists, known as #Heathrow13, were found guilty of aggravated trespass and entering the security restricted area of London Heathrow Airport’s (LHR) north runway in protest of plans to build a third runway. All 13 have been told by District Judge Deborah Wright that they “should all come expecting custodial sentences” because they disobeyed security restrictions of Heathrow Airport to save the greens, environment and their very own planet.

Those 13 climate protesters are facing prison to silence protest against new runways which would wreck Government policy to protect us from catastrophic climate change.  Activists of the Plane Stupid stated that they will continue to support #Heathrow13 and that they are determined to oppose and stop airport expansion. They are holding a demo OUTSIDE the court from 9am SHARP tomorrow – together with Heathrow residents and others. In support of the brave #Heathrow13, they will be rallying outside the court and will say that:

  • Climate justice is the only appropriate form of justice here
  • Prison time for protecting the climate is a massive #Redline
  • We need to Stop Aviation Expansion & Stop Co2lonialism!

Phulbari Solidarity Group stands in solidarity with the Plane Stupid activists, and strongly oppose the final sentencing of #Heathrow13 . In support of the #Heathrow13 we signed the petition to Stop Airport Expansion.   We ask everyone to sign and share the petition against aviation expansion  https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/support-the-heathrow-13-and-stop-the-new-runway-1

The PSG also calls upon everyone to come and join Plane Stupid’s demo: #Heathrow13 – FINAL SENTENCING which will be held between 9am to 12 noon, at Willesden Magistrates’ Court, London.

The full address for the court is:
Willesden Magistrates’ Court
448 High Road
London
NW10 2DZ
Nearest tube: Neasden OR Dollis Hill (Jubilee Line)

The demo will start at 9am, and the sentencing hearing will start at 10am. Outcome of sentencing is expected around 12noon. Those who could not make it physically can express solidarity on social media – on Facebook event page  and on Twitter @PlaneStupid #Heathrow13

Read further news about the #Heathrow13:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/feb/11/prison-sentences-for-heathrow-13-activists-would-threaten-our-right-to-protest

https://newint.org/blog/2016/01/26/mass-civil-obedience-is-killing-us/

http://newint.org/blog/2016/01/12/stop-aviation-stop-co2lonialism/

http://newint.org/blog/2015/08/20/heathrow-expansion-protest/http://www.planestupid.com/

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Bangladeshi Protesters served notice of closure to British coal mining company

11 months old Usha says NO to Coal Mine, GCM receives warning at AGM  

By Raaj Manik

OFFICIAL NOTICE to GCM RESORUCES FROM PHULBARI PROTESTERS AND PEOPLE

Effective Immediately

Phulbari Solidarity Group Founder read out a Notice of closure to GCM at the demo on Friday Photo by Pete Mason

Friday, 18 December 2015, at 10:30am|4 Hamilton Place | London W1J 7BQ

This is to notify the London-based company, Global Coal Management Resources Plc., formerly known as Asia Energy, is coming down. The company has been hotly resisted by locals for its fatal business policy for nine years. Three people were shot dead and two hundred injured by company-provoked shooting by paramilitary force in a demonstration of 80,000 people opposing plans by GCM in 2006.

The project has generated grave concern at national and international levels including the United Nations. Bangladesh government has cancelled the contract with the company. The government has repeatedly reassured protesters by official statements that Bangladesh does not want to build open pit mine in Phulbari. This year the UK government has published a statement highlighting the fierce opposition to GCM in Phulbari.

Due to its dodgy and unethical nature of business, the company was unable to register to London Stock Exchange. GCM is a member of London’s Alternative Investors Market. We note its business is dire. The company’s share price is falling every year. But the company is still pushing the government of Bangladesh for a fatal deal.

In the month of the climate summit #COP21, when climate protests erupted across the globe seeking climate justice, they announced AGM to discuss a noxious deal to implement a massive open-pit coal mine by forcibly displacing 130,000 families in Phulbari. If the mine is built, it would destroy 14,600 hectares of highly cultivable land and would pose threats to clean water resources. The project would leave devastating impact on the country’s only mangrove forest and a UNESCO heritage site, the Sundarbans.

We advise GCM to close dodgy business by this year’s AGM. The company must clear their London office with immediate. Failure to do so will result in high penalty.

CONSIDER THIS AS A FINAL NOTICE TO CLOSE YOUR FAKE BUSINESS!

For further information contact: Bangladesh National Committee, UK branch http://protectbdresources.org.uk, http://www.ncbd.org and Phulbari Solidarity Group: https://phulbarisolidaritygroup.wordpress.com/

Cliamte change protesters outside the AGM of GCM Resources demonstrate on Firday 18 December 2015 DSC_0240 (2)

On Friday 18 December 2015, the above notice of closure was served to an AIM-listed British mining company by Bangladeshi community and transnational campaigners to save Phulbari and the green land in northwest Bangladesh. After a successful noise-demo outside the company’s Annual General Meeting, the founder of the Phulbari SolidarityGroup and an eye witness to the carnage in Phulbari on 26 August, 2006, Rumana Hashem has read out the Notice of Closure on behalf of all protesters.

The demo organised by Phulbari SOlidarity Group and the UK branch of Bangladesh National Committee was participated by community women and men, and transnational climate change activists.

Community women from Dinajpur and Phulbari joined the demo with their children as young as 11 months old.  They chanted slogans, banged spoons and played noisy flute to disrupt the Mayfair AGM of Global Coal Management. They said that GCM has no place in Bangladesh.

DSC_0260 (2)

Little Usha holds placard with his grand dad and mum from who came from Dinajpur to serve a notice of closure to GCM. Photo: Rumana Hashem

In the end of the demo the above notice of closure was served to GCM, which was handed into the board by their dissident shareholders who attended the AGM and questioned the company’s board about the social, economic and environmental impacts of the proposed Phulbari coal project. The dissident shareholders were greeted by other shareholders for raising important and timely questions. The board was clearly embarrassed when the Bangladeshi activists challenged the validity of the suspended contract with Bangladesh government.

Transnational advocates for climate change joined the demo with community activists. Indian anti-mining campaigner and the founder of Foil Vedanta, the activists from the London Mining Networks, leaders of the Socialist Party and the Tower Hamlet’s Trade Unionists and Socialist Coalition stood in full solidarity with the Phulbari activists and community environmentalists. Three representatives of the protesters walked into the AGM and questioned the chair of the company about illegal share business, and workers injuries in the shooting on 26 August in 2006.

DSC_0252 (2)

Protesters took over the entrance to block the investors which led to an argument with the company security personnel who tried to protect the company executives. Photo: Rumana Hashem

Protesters said that this year’s AGM would be GCM’s last ever meeting in London. In a notice of closure, they denounced the company as a fraudulent corporation that does not have any valid contract with Bangladeshi government. The company does not hold any other valid business elsewhere in the globe but they are selling shares in London’s alternative investors’ market. The protesters called upon Michael Tang and Gary Lye to close GCM’s London office without delay. The protesters and the Bangladeshi community activists would lock the company’s head office at Piccadilly in June 2016, otherwise, they said.

Watch video of the demo , with thanks to Socialist Party of England and Wales:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhxPY8LFPxA&feature=youtu.be

A detailed report of the interrogation inside the AGM is here: GCM Withering and Wilting [http://londonminingnetwork.org/2015/12/gcm-withering-and-wilting/]

Photos of the demo can be accessed via Peter Marshall’s London Diary on Phulbari: http://mylondondiary.co.uk/2015/12/dec.htm#phulbari

More photos and video links can be accessed via Facebook Action-demo event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/180360322310156/

Further press coverage can be accessed via below links:

Protest in London against Phulbari coal mine: http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/89367/Protest-in-London-against-Phulbari-coal-mine

Protesters fight coal mining project in Bangladesh: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/21925/20-12-2015/protesters-fight-coal-mining-project-in-bangladesh

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GCM IS COMING DOWN!

Action Demo in London to Save PHULBARI & Green-Farm Land

Friday, 18 December at 10:30am, 4 Hamilton Place,  London W1J 7BQ (nearest tube station Hyde Park Corner)

In the month of the climate summit #COP21, when climate protests erupted across the globe seeking climate justice, a London-based AIM-listed multinational company, Global Coal Management Resources Plc. , announced its AGM to discuss a noxious deal to implement a massive open-pit coal mine by forcibly displacing 130,000 families of farmers in Phulbari. If the mine is built, it would destroy 14,600 hectares of highly cultivable land in northwest Bangladesh. It would also pose threats to clean water resources and would leave devastating impact on one of the world’s largest mangrove forests and UNESCO heritage site, the Sundarbans.

Phulbari outburst on 26 August 2006

The mothers and wives of murdered villagers in Phulbari calling the investors of Asia Energy (now GCM) after the shooting on 27 August in 2006.

The company, previously known as Asia Energy, has been hotly resisted by locals for its fatal business policy. Three people were shot dead and two hundred injured in a demonstration of 80,000 people that took place in opposition to plans by GCM in 2006. Bangladesh government has cancelled all contracts with the company nine years ago. The government has recently reassured protestors by a statement that it does not want to build an open pit mine in Phulbari. The project has generated grave concern at national and international levels including the United Nations. This year the UK government has published a statement highlighting the fierce opposition to GCM in Phulbari. But the company has so far ignored every message. It has been pushing the government of Bangladesh for a fatal deal. We advise GCM to close business NOW!

JOIN US inside and outside the AGM! We will warn them to close AGM forever!

RSVP to join us via https://www.facebook.com/events/180360322310156/

Please Bring along your banner, placards, festoons, whistles, drums, masks and messages against dirty coal miners. We will declare a notice of closure to GCM and we’ll celebrate the news that Bangladesh government has reassured there is no plan to open pit mine.

Contact for further information: Dr Akhter S Khan: nationalcommittee.uk@googlemail.com, Dr Mokhlesur Rahman qmr111@hotmail.com, Rumana Hashem: phulbarisolidaritygroup@gmail.com

Bangladesh National Committee, UK branch| Phulbari Solidarity Group, UK| 

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Propaganda cannot rationalize Rampal Coal Fired Power Plant Project

Statement by National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Natural Resources, Power, Port

By Rumana Hashem

In response to the latest statement issued by Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company regarding Rampal Power Plant, the Convener of National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Natural Resources, Power and Port, Engr. Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah and Member Secretary Prof. Anu Muhammad jointly issued a statement. It was published on national committee website on 22 October. We are reproducing the statement with their permission below.

 

Anup Kundus photo 28 Jan 2015

Rare animals and wild bird died by oil spill in the Sundarbans.  If the Rampal power plant will be built, many more beautiful and rare animals would face the same fate! Photo credit: Anup Kundus 28 Jan 2015.

‘BIFPC, the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company, formed jointly by NTPC, India and BPDB, Bangladesh, in a statement published in newspapers on October 21, harshly criticized the ongoing movement to Save Sundarbans and presented some forged information regarding the Rampal power plant project. They stated, ‘a handful person and organizations are spreading misconceptions regarding Rampal power plant only to create a bar against the current development process of the country’. They also claimed that, ‘This plant will not impose any threat to ecology, environment, and local people’.

 

However, it is well known fact that this alleged ‘handful of persons and organizations’ who are opposing this plant include various organizations working with National Committee, experts from national and international arena, teachers, writers, artists, environmentalists and of course the general people of the country. Even UNESCO, Ramsar, South Asian Human Rights Forum, and Council of Ethics of Norway are also part of these few ‘persons and organizations’ who, according to them, are trying to ‘destabilize the country’s ongoing growth’! Meanwhile, UNESCO has already expressed their concern over this issue and a possibility arises that it might even consider withdrawing the status of Sundarbans from the list of World Heritage sites.

 

‘We would like to stress on the fact that except for few vested interest groups most others have taken a strong position against this plant. Even the Department of Environment and Forestry in Bangladesh opposed this plant in the very beginning. We have mentioned it many times that the conditions of Rampal Power plant largely violates International law. Indian environment law itself disallows such plant to set up within 25km of any ecologically sensitive area.

 

‘The Ongoing Save Sundarbans movement is based on various authentic research and analysis which confirms the destructive effect of the plant on Sundarbans. This plant has raised additional questions due to the lack of transparency, rule of law, and coercive role of the state. The company has claimed in the statement that ‘the plant will not cause pollution, and no amount of polluted or hot water will be released in the water bodies’. However, such pollution is obvious and even the government led EIA report had to admit the severe environmental adverse effects of the project.

 

‘In the statement, the company also stated that the power plant will crate job opportunities for the local people. This is a misleading piece of information as we all know a power plant is capable of employing only an insignificant number of people. Moreover, due to the dangerous impact of the plant on the water bodies and the forestry of nearby areas, nearly a million people, depending on the forest for their sustainable livelihood, would have no other choice but to become environmental refugees.

 

‘Interestingly, the company has blamed the farmers and the fishing community for the gradual decline of Sundarban’s. This is as well a well-planned propaganda against the marginalized communities of Sundarbans. It is very clear that the Sundarban is in danger not because of the communities living around it, but due to the powerful land grabbers and the ecologically disastrous industrial and ‘development’ projects. In addition, if the power plant is constructed, not only the Sundarbans will be affected, the communities of the southern belt of the country will become completely unprotected before increasing natural disasters.

 

‘The company has also claimed that the prime Minister of Bangladesh has recently received the ‘Champion of the Earth’ award, and thus it is out of question for the prime minister to promote any project that impacts the environment negatively. In response to this claim, we would like to remind that after the award, the Prime minister has bigger responsibility now. We expect that by canceling the dangerous project, our prime minister will do justice to her award, and will prove herself as a genuine defender of environment. Otherwise she will be remembered in the history for her flawed policies that is the biggest threat for survival of Sundarban, therefore responsible for the most dangerous environmental destruction of our time.’

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In defence of national and environmental interest

By Samina Luthfa, 18 January 2015

Phulbari is not a controversy. It is the name and symbol of a successful resistance by community people threatened with displacement by a proposed open-pit coal mine by GCM Resources in 5,600 hectares of land (including arable land with high cropping intensity) in four thanas of Dinajpur. Open mining requires stripping off the soil over the deposit that lies at least 150 meter or deeper (upto270 meters) under the earth. The mining company has changed its names twice after a community protest rally against the Phulbari project was attacked and protestors shot at, killing three young protestors in 2006.

Grand rally of locals in Phulbari town on 27 December. Photo credit: Kallol Mustafa

Grand rally of locals in Phulbari town on 27 December. Photo credit: Kallol Mustafa

Although the company’s revised documents say that the stripping will be done in phases, two highly placed government-led expert committees were not convinced in favour of the mine that will directly affect the lives and livelihoods of at least 1,00,000 people (2006). Foreign environmental experts extensively criticised the company’s Environmental Impact Assessment for being incomplete and vague. The human displacement and environmental costs are so high that United Nations’ rapporteurs also made statements expressing opposition to the proposed mine.

‘Self-proclaimed’ or not, local communities and environmental justice platforms like the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port must have had logical objections against the proposed project; why else would international financiers like the Asian Development Bank and Barclays Capital feel compelled to withdraw their financial support from the project since 2008? Long before the incident of November 24, 2014, the project based in London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market had been termed ‘risky’ by industry experts like Rosie Carr in 2006 (Identify the Risks, The Investors’ Chronicle, the Financial Times).

My own doctoral research from the University of Oxford quantitatively compared incidences of community-based protests against 398 open-pit mines in South Asia. Factors like density of population, proportion of area under forest cover, and ownership by a multinational company predicted the highest probability of protest in the proposed Phulbari deposit. This research result was formally conveyed to the shareholders of GCM in their Annual General Meeting of 2011. This means that the investors are well aware of the financial risks they are taking by investing in the Phulbari project.

When such a volatile project with a high degree of environmental, political and social risks and very strong local-national-transnational opposition is supported by a quarter, what I see is unfettered greed of profiteering by some people with no environmental, social and cultural conscience at all. No matter how strongly the locals protest it, or how persuasively the experts explain that the mine would be devastating for the water aquifers, for example, they will not stop. Because they do not care about Bangladesh or its FDI rates; they are only worried about their profit, with every pence increasing their share value in the AIM. The ranting of these ‘investors’ about our country and our politicians in their discussion forums clearly show that all they care about is profiteering through stock manipulation in London that is independent of what the marginalised protestors at Phulbari do or do not do.

Placard used in a protest against the exploitative British company. Photo: Golam Rabbani

Placard used in a protest against the exploitative British company. Photo: Golam Rabbani

The company, as erroneously suggested by some, does NOT have a ‘permission for mining’ yet from the government. A letter from the government that is often used as an evidence of contract clearly states that the permission to mine is dependent on the following: “on receipt of the Feasibility Study Report, the technical aspects of the project will be examined and evaluated by experts and on the basis of this government will take final decision regarding real mining operation…Within this time, the lessee will not conduct any commercial activities of the mine.” On one hand, the expert committee formed after this letter expressed opposition to the project, and on the other, the Phulbari Chukti that said ‘no open mine anywhere in the country’ was signed by the BNP-led government representatives in 2006 and was supported by the then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina. It is an obligation for any incumbent politician to uphold these.

The local resistance started in 2005, gathered momentum and peaked in 2006. National committee joined the locals later to support their resistance. The locals successfully showed how the mine was not only threatening for them but also for our national interest. It wouldonly benefit the company as it would have owned all the coal, giving a small amount of royalty to Bangladesh (much lower than the convention) and some supply of coal for our power generation. 80% of the coal produced was earmarked for export to India through a very vulnerable eco-system in Southern Bangladesh — the Sundarbans. The far-reaching probable effect of this on the mangrove forest is probably clearer now after the oil tanker spill in Shela river in December 2014.

There exist several doctoral and post-graduate dissertation-based research from well-reputed western universities like Chicago, Sussex, Amsterdam, and faculty and NGO level research in Bangladesh, UK and USA, that show how strong the opposition against the mining project is and why it is the case: too costly for communities due to huge displacement, high environmental risk in a riverine area like Bangladesh where any seepage or extraction of water table has a far reaching environmental impact and increase in food insecurity with the loss of highly active arable land to the mine. All these for whose benefit: to produce electricity to export to India! Farewell to national interest, eh?

Last but not the least, FDI inflow increased 98% over the last fiscal year according to the Board of

Bangladeshi activist protests against the company outside the AGM. Photo: Paul V Dudman

Bangladeshi activist protests against the company outside the AGM. Photo: Paul V Dudman

Investments’ own records, which proves that although Phulbari is in stalemate for the last 8 years, the national investment scenario looks pretty good. I am no economist but my common sense suggests that first, foreign investment depends on global trends and is therefore dependent more on global crises than one single project. Second, GCM’s investment is not that big given the country’s whole investment scenario. Third, there are other more profitable sectors in the country where foreign investment is less risky and better-suited for investors who care for long-term returns rather than the short term return required by GCM’s short-sighted investors, whom I closely observed for one year in 2010-11. Finally, increase in FDI in power sector without a concern for sustainable growth often is responsible for creating a ‘resource curse.’ Experiences of countries like Nigeria, Sudan, Columbia and Afghanistan tell us how an increase in FDI in the energy sector negatively trapped the countries into poverty and dependence. Are we to welcome any investment that intends to export our resources at high financial, environmental and social cost and benefit only a few investors and some corrupt government officials? Or are we to bid farewell to the bad investments and welcome those that propose to extract responsibly keeping in mind the prospect of future generations to come?

**The above article is reproduced, with thanks to the Daily Star

The writer is Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Dhaka. She earned her doctorate from the University of Oxford, UK, in 2013 on the Phulbari Resistance. The research was funded by the Commonwealth Commission.

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Meet demands or face blockade programme on 7 February 2015

Declaration of Phulbari Grand Rally

By Kallol Mustafa, 30 December, 2014


National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports at a rally at Nimtola in Phulbari upazila under the district yesterday warned of tough programmes if their demands were not met within January 31 of the year ahead.

Grand rally of locals in Phulbari town on 27 December. Photo credit: Kallol Mustafa

Grand rally of locals in Phulbari town on 27 December. Photo credit: Kallol Mustafa

The demands include arrest of Gary Lye, chief executive of Asia Energy Corporation of Bangladesh,  withdrawal of a case filed against the local committee members by Asia Energy,  government’s assurance to avoid open pit mining in Phulbari and implementation of the six-point agreement signed in August 2006.

The local chapter of the committee organised the rally yesterday afternoon protesting Gary Lye’s visit to Phulbari from November 24 to 26.
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Villagers from the country side heading to the rally against Asia Energy’s Chief Executive Officer, Gary Lye . Photo: Kallol Mustafa

Addressing the rally, Anu Mohammad, member secretary of the central committee, highlighted the bad impact of open pit mining in Phulbari, if implemented.

The speakers urged the government to meet their demands or face blockade programme in northern districts on February 7 next year.
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Grand rally in Phulbari demanding arrest and expulsion of GCM’s CEO, Gary Lye, from Bangladesh. Photo: Kallol Mustafa

Protesters from different areas of Dinajpur district joined the rally with processions.
Read news of the grand rally in national media:
More images and footages can be accessed on request.
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Psychology and torture – a literature overview

Ian's avatarUEL Library - Psychology Blog

Capitol Hill at Night (c/o Jeff Nickel on Flickr CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Content warning: some of the materials referred to below may contain content that some may find distressing.

There has been a lot of media coverage of the US Senate intelligence committee’s report on CIA torture since the publication of the summary yesterday. One of many areas of controversy has been the role of psychologists in assisting the development of “enhanced interrogation techniques”, as well as the position taken by the American Psychological Association (APA).

So, where can you find out more about this story, the position of the APA and its UK equivalent, the British Psychological Society (BPS)?

Definitions of Torture

  • The International Criminal Court Act (2001) sets out the definition of ‘torture’ in relation to the UK’s obligations regarding the International Criminal Court (a separate Act applies to Scotland):

…the intentional infliction of severe pain…

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