BANSKHALI, Chittagong – Calmness returned at this southeastern coastal township two days after a deadly violence over installation of a proposed coal-fired power plant, with peaceful enforcement of a daylong strike.Residents and witnesses said Gondamara union, the scene of the Monday’s violence in the Banskhali upazila, saw no more tension as the hartal was observed peacefully.Banskhali Chhatra Oykyo Forum called the hartal protesting the deaths of at least three people and injury of anther forty and demanding stern punitive actions against those responsible for the deaths.
They also demanded the construction of the coal based plant be halted at Gondamara union.Witnesses said the forum activists staged a protest meeting but none, however, were seen on the street to enforce the hartal.But attendance in offices and business centres were thin while the streets looked largely barren and the schools in the neighbourhood were also mostly closed.The hartal was observed as a government investigation committee led by additional district magistrate (ADM) of Chittagong Mohammad Muminur Rahman began the enquiry over the Banskhali incident. S Alam Group of Industries and a Chinese company is setting up the proposed 1,320 mw plant jointly with the Chinese company at a cost of TK 20,000 crore.(BSS)
