Berlin – The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports in Bangladesh (NCBD), European Network has demanded the cancellation of Bangladesh Government’s ongoing heinous project of 1320 MW Rampal Coal based power plant situated near world largest mangrove forest Sundarbans. Rampal is situated very close to sensitive ecological zone/ biosphere of Sundarbans which is the ultimate home of hundreds of species and the Royal Bengal Tiger. Unfortunately, the forest adjacent area has already become a hub of industries because of this mega scale power plant. The committee has also demanded to formulate supportive policy and to take necessary steps for alternative energy solution in order to save lives and nature from coal pollution and to produce cheap and affordable electricity in future.
Two days´ international conference from 19-20 August was held at Democracy and Humanity Centre located in Berlin with the participation of distinguished professors from universities of Germany along with various international environmental organization’s representative and also specialists from Bangladesh. Among the participants, there were also Bangladeshi researchers, students and professionals from European Countries who did express their opinions on the discussed issues.
During the last session on Sunday Berlin Declaration 2017 was announced in order to save Sundarbans and urging to promote renewable energy in Bangladesh. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cJr09W1IP7PkhKw332TzIcoE52DvrHvipS2eYRGwxcY/edit?usp=sharingWith the Berlin declarations, announced from Berlin International Conference on Rampal and Renewable Energy, more than one hundred- environment, nature and biodiversity based organisations such as Green Peace, Friends of the Earth, 350.org., World Wild Foundation (WWF), Women Engage for the Common Future, Bank Truck etc. have expressed their solidarity to it.
Berlin Declaration has announced the demands for cancellation of the current project of Rampal Coal based power plant. Berlin Declaration also made a call to Bangladeshi Government to learn from the example of China, India and many more Asian and European countries which have already started to shift their power production from coal and other fossil fuel to cheap and environmentally friendly renewable energy.
In the inaugural speech of the first session, Syed Babul as a representative of NCBD, European Network stated that this European conference has mainly aimed to spread the spirit of ongoing discussion and movement regarding Sundarbans and the implementation of proposed alternative energy solution by national committee in further level and to strengthen international solidarity on the Save Sundarbans movement.
In the first session of the conference, Mrs Kestin Dörenbrruch from Green Peace and Environmental journalist Katherina Finke read the article on “Rampal Power Plant and its environmental impacts on Sundarbans”. This session was hosted by a researcher of German Geoscience Research Centre, Dr Animesh Gayn. Energy and power specialist Mr Sankar Sharma and Investment specialist Mr Joe Athialy also joined in this session and presented through video conferencing.
In the second session titled “Coal-based fuel policies and its impact on climate and transformation to Green Energy policy”, Professor of Berlin Humböldt University, Wilfried Endlisher, Professor of Technical University of Cologne, Prof. Hartmut Bärwolff, and Professor of Jahanginagar University, Bangladesh Prof. Anu Muhammed and Chief-in-charge of German Environment Forum Mrs. Elisabeth Staudt deliver their speech and presented their research on the topic. The session was hosted by Wahed Chowdhury, a researcher at Humboldt University, Berlin. In the second day of the conference, a researcher from Hanover Leibniz Institute for Applied Geo-physic Dr Mohammed Azizur Rahman and Expert on alternative energy Engr. Mahbub Sumon has given their speech on “Green energy potential and possibilities in Bangladesh”. This session was hosted by researcher Tanzia Islam from Berlin Technology University. Indian scientist and energy expert Mr Soumya Dutta attended this session through video conferencing and discussed the benefit of distributive model based renewable energy solution for Bangladesh which will ensure to eradicate energy poverty and at the same time will produce cheap electricity.
In the last session activists attended from different European countries and Bangladeshi citizens living in Europe had participated in an open discussion to express their solidarity with the Save Sundarbans campaign and discussed on future plans and agendas in order to strengthen the ongoing movement.
Berlin Declaration was read out by Debasish Sarker .at the end and unanimously accepted by the attended experts, scientists, activists and others.
A photo exhibition was held and during the cultural program session the documentary film ‘Deception of Development’ was shown. – Press release
Video URL: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1Erkm5Ng59xbWNzOU9Kc25FQjQ
