No alliance with BNP over Rampal issue

Says Prof Anu Muhammad

Leaders of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports yesterday made it clear that they would continue their protests against the Rampal Power Plant with ordinary people and there was no possibility of joining hands with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on the issue. “The people, who have raised their voices against the Rampal Power Plant, are our main force and we’ll continue our protest with them,” Prof. Anu Muhammad, member secretary of the committee, said during a press conference organised at Mukti Bhaban.
The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports organised the press meet in the wake of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent conference on the Rampal Power Plant. Welcoming the BNP’s protest against the Rampal Power Plant, Anu Muhammad said if a large political party like the BNP raised its voice against the plant, it would add value to their cause. “But there is no possibility of joining hands with the BNP because our policy bars us from working with any organisation that has worked against the interests of the country. The BNP, during its reign, has done it a number of times. So, we won’t work with them,” he added. Ten years ago, when the committee protested in Phulbari, the then Opposition party, the Awami League (AL), supported them, he said. “It’s unfortunate that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is now asking how we are getting funds to continue the protest. I’d like to tell her that we didn’t need any money from outside sources to continue our protest against Phulbari and similarly we won’t need deals with projects sent by different ministries.”
On a specific question on terrorism, Rahman said that there was no real impact of the Gulshan terror attack on the country’s economy. Neither had it stalled development projects.
“I don’t think it will have any impact on Bangladesh economy,” he said, adding, “countries which are helping us in major projects and providing  resources have been assured protection by the government in the wake of the attack on the Holey Artisan café in Dhaka.”
“So far, we have not heard from any country or provider of resources that they will withdraw from projects or cut down on projects or resources,” he said.
Life, he added, was back to normal within days of the July 1incident. Hammering the fact that the terror related incidents were not globally linked, Rahman said, “There has not been any incident indicating that there is a shift towards destabilization.”
Maintaining that the Gulshan attack was carried out by Bangladesh’s home-grown militants and that the incident has no connection with ISIS, Rahman said “it was not an organized effort to dislodge our government or the kind of governance system we have. It was just an adventurous act in the wake of the geographical expansion of ISIS activities worldwide. “
 The ‘only new dimension’ to the Gulshan incident, he said, was the involvement of non-madrasah youth that is a departure from the past when only madrasah educated elements had been involved in such acts. He however ruled out ‘any connection with the ISIS’.
 “Our understanding is that the Gulshan attack is not connected with ISIS but an act of home-grown elements,”  he added.  Asked about involvement of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in extremist activities in Bangladesh and expulsion of Pakistani diplomats on that charge, Rahman said government of Bangladesh ‘would not give any indulgence to any such activity under the garb of diplomacy’.
“Independence of Bangladesh has not been taken graciously by Pakistan by more powerful government within Pakistan government and we are trying to see that they do not interfere in anything which has to do with the sovereignty of Bangladesh,” he said.
Asked if he sees any attempt to bypass Pakistan in forging and strengthening regional cooperation in South Asia, Rahman said, “It is not focused to leave out any one country or Pakistan out of the ambit of cooperation.  There is no deliberate attempt to bypass someone.”  He said the geographical location of Bangladesh is such that it makes the country advantageous to have cooperation with India, Nepal and Bhutan . For instance, Bangladesh does not have any common river with Pakistan to go for any kind of cooperation with that country in that sector, he added.

No alliance with BNP over Rampal issue

Says Prof Anu Muhammad

Leaders of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports yesterday made it clear that they would continue their protests against the Rampal Power Plant with ordinary people and there was no possibility of joining hands with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on the issue. The people, who have raised their voices against the Rampal Power Plant, are our main force and well continue our protest with them, Prof. Anu Muhammad, member secretary of the committee, said during a press conference organised at Mukti Bhaban. The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports organised the press meet in the wake of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas recent conference on the Rampal Power Plant. Welcoming the BNPs protest against the Rampal Power Plant, Anu Muhammad said if a large political party like the BNP raised its voice against the plant, it would add value to their cause. But there is no possibility of joining hands with the BNP because our policy bars us from working with any organisation that has worked against the interests of the country. The BNP, during its reign, has done it a number of times. So, we wont work with them, he added. Ten years ago, when the committee protested in Phulbari, the then Opposition party, the Awami League (AL), supported them, he said. Its unfortunate that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is now asking how we are getting funds to continue the protest. Id like to tell her that we didnt need any money from outside sources to continue our protest against Phulbari and similarly we wont need deals with projects sent by different ministries. On a specific question on terrorism, Rahman said that there was no real impact of the Gulshan terror attack on the countrys economy. Neither had it stalled development projects. I dont think it will have any impact on Bangladesh economy, he said, adding, countries which are helping us in major projects and providing resources have been assured protection by the government in the wake of the attack on the Holey Artisan caf in Dhaka. So far, we have not heard from any country or provider of resources that they will withdraw from projects or cut down on projects or resources, he said. Life, he added, was back to normal within days of the July 1incident. Hammering the fact that the terror related incidents were not globally linked, Rahman said, There has not been any incident indicating that there is a shift towards destabilization. Maintaining that the Gulshan attack was carried out by Bangladeshs home-grown militants and that the incident has no connection with ISIS, Rahman said it was not an organized effort to dislodge our government or the kind of governance system we have. It was just an adventurous act in the wake of the geographical expansion of ISIS activities worldwide. The only new dimension to the Gulshan incident, he said, was the involvement of non-madrasah youth that is a departure from the past when only madrasah educated elements had been involved in such acts. He however ruled out any connection with the ISIS. Our understanding is that the Gulshan attack is not connected with ISIS but an act of home-grown elements, he added. Asked about involvement of Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in extremist activities in Bangladesh and expulsion of Pakistani diplomats on that charge, Rahman said government of Bangladesh would not give any indulgence to any such activity under the garb of diplomacy. Independence of Bangladesh has not been taken graciously by Pakistan by more powerful government within Pakistan government and we are trying to see that they do not interfere in anything which has to do with the sovereignty of Bangladesh, he said. Asked if he sees any attempt to bypass Pakistan in forging and strengthening regional cooperation in South Asia, Rahman said, It is not focused to leave out any one country or Pakistan out of the ambit of cooperation. There is no deliberate attempt to bypass someone. He said the geographical location of Bangladesh is such that it makes the country advantageous to have cooperation with India, Nepal and Bhutan . For instance, Bangladesh does not have any common river with Pakistan to go for any kind of cooperation with that country in that sector, he added.