‘Magurchhera Day’ was observed here on Thursday to recall the
incident in which the Magunchhara gas well blew up in 1997.
Different political, social and environmental organisations have taken
up various programmes to press home their demand for realising
compensations from the gas operating company.
Operators of the gas field have been changed three times. Now US-based
Chevron is operating the gas field.
Moulvibazar Unit of the ‘National Committee to Protect Oil,
Gas-Mineral Resources and Power and Port’ organised a citizen’s
meeting at Moulvibazar Town Club on Thursday.
Presided over by AM Yahiya Mujahid, the meeting was attended, among
others, by convener of the national committee convener Md Shahid
Ullah, Member Secretary Prof Anu Muhammed, CPB General Secretary Syed
Abu Zafar Ahmed and BSD central committee leader Bazlur Rashid Firoz.
Anu Mohammed said oil-gas explorer foreign companies were not
efficient enough and they were destroying Magurchhara.
‘Now our Bay of Bengal has been given over to them. Both the Awami
League and the BNP speak in the same vein,’ he said.
He said two gas blocks had already been handed over to a foreign
company and all the blocks would be given over to them gradually.
Officers and employees of the power and mineral resources ministry
were acting as foreign agents, he observed.
Anu Mohammed added that ‘Sundarbans’ is unique but this heritage was
now under threat as the government was setting up a power plant near,
which would destroy it.
(Our Correspondent)
