Phulbari Tragedy Day today

The people of Phulbari as well as different organisations will observe the 9th anniversary of Phulbari Tragedy Day today in remembrance the people who died in shooting by law enforcers while protesting against open-pit coal-mining by “Asia Energy” at Phulbari in Dinajpur in 2006.
The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port, Phulbari Protection Committe and different left-leaning political organisations, along with local people in Phulbari have chalked up programmes including the hoisting of black flag, wearing black badges, mourning rally, placing floral wreaths on the  graveyard of the victims, prayers and milad mahfil to mark the Phulbari Tragedy Day.
On August 26, 2006, the national committee and Phulbari Protection Committee jointly declared to lay siege to the Asia Energy field office in Phulbari. The processions gathered at the Phulbari GM Pilot High School and moved towards the Asia Energy office there. As police and BDR personnel obstructed the procession at Nimtali corner, the protestors broke through the barricade. Then law enforcers then opened fire on the procession. Three people -- Tariqul, Amin and Salekin were killed and over 50 were injured by bullets during the clash.
Following the clash, the administration banned rallies in the area by imposing Section 144 while the protestors called an indefinite strike in the area. Road and rail routes in Phulbari were blockaded. The administration, in the face of mass protests, withdrew BDR forces from the area on August 28.
Four days after the incident, the then BNP-led government, on August 30, signed a six-point agreement with protesters, represented by the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port to expel Asia Energy from Bangladesh and ban open-pit mining.
The then former opposition leader and incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited Phulbari in Dinajpur on September 4, 2006, and announced that she would resist any move to carry out open-pit mine there or elsewhere in the country. She had also extended her full support to the six-point agreement.
The six-point agreement, however, is still to be fully implemented, according to leaders of the national committee. The committee has also expressed its dismay at the non-implementation of the agreement as Asia Energy is still active in the country.

Phulbari Tragedy Day today

The people of Phulbari as well as different organisations will observe the 9th anniversary of Phulbari Tragedy Day today in remembrance the people who died in shooting by law enforcers while protesting against open-pit coal-mining by Asia Energy at Phulbari in Dinajpur in 2006. The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port, Phulbari Protection Committe and different left-leaning political organisations, along with local people in Phulbari have chalked up programmes including the hoisting of black flag, wearing black badges, mourning rally, placing floral wreaths on the graveyard of the victims, prayers and milad mahfil to mark the Phulbari Tragedy Day. On August 26, 2006, the national committee and Phulbari Protection Committee jointly declared to lay siege to the Asia Energy field office in Phulbari. The processions gathered at the Phulbari GM Pilot High School and moved towards the Asia Energy office there. As police and BDR personnel obstructed the procession at Nimtali corner, the protestors broke through the barricade. Then law enforcers then opened fire on the procession. Three people -- Tariqul, Amin and Salekin were killed and over 50 were injured by bullets during the clash. Following the clash, the administration banned rallies in the area by imposing Section 144 while the protestors called an indefinite strike in the area. Road and rail routes in Phulbari were blockaded. The administration, in the face of mass protests, withdrew BDR forces from the area on August 28. Four days after the incident, the then BNP-led government, on August 30, signed a six-point agreement with protesters, represented by the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port to expel Asia Energy from Bangladesh and ban open-pit mining. The then former opposition leader and incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited Phulbari in Dinajpur on September 4, 2006, and announced that she would resist any move to carry out open-pit mine there or elsewhere in the country. She had also extended her full support to the six-point agreement. The six-point agreement, however, is still to be fully implemented, according to leaders of the national committee. The committee has also expressed its dismay at the non-implementation of the agreement as Asia Energy is still active in the country.