Three killed, 50 injured in protests

AT least three people were killed and more than 50 hurt today when security forces fired at thousands of protesters trying to storm a British coal mining company's office, police said.

The paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles shot at the protesters after they tried to cross a bridge to enter the Phulbari coal mine office of London-based Asia Energy Plc, police officer Ruhul Amin told AFP.

"Two people were killed and more than 50 injured including many police officers,'' he said.
A young man with bullet wounds to his head died at the Dinajpur central hospital, the facility's medical officer Saral Chandra said.

Bangladesh's private news agencies, BDNEWS 24 and UNB, said there were five deaths and over 100 injuries.

At least ten critically injured people were operated on at two big hospitals in the region, hospital staffers said.

"They have bullet wounds in heads and other parts,'' said Mr Chandra, adding more injured were being rushed to hospital.

Witnesses said more than a hundred people were injured - including dozens with bullet wounds - as security forces shot at protesters to prevent them from marching into Asia Energy's office.

The protesters numbered about 20,000 and were demanding that the government close down the office, Mr Amin said, adding shots were fired only after protesters attacked security forces with bamboo sticks.

The protesters, who were reportedly chanting slogans against giving any of their land to Asia Energy, said they were conducting the march peacefully.

"We've about 50,000 men and women including several thousand aborigines. As we tried to march peacefully, the security forces first lobbed tear gas and then they fired bullets at us,'' protest organiser Anu Mohammad said.

The protesters - under the banner of the National Committee for Protecting Gas, Water, Power, Port and Mineral Resources - had planned the rally weeks ago and drummed up support across the country.

"If Asia Energy starts open-cast mining at Phulbari, at least 100,000 people will be displaced. They say only 40,000 will be displaced. But it's not true,'' Mr Mohammad said.

"In addition, there will be huge impact on environment and the whole aboriginal communities that live in the area for hundreds of years will be evicted,'' he added.

Environmental groups have charged that the company's plan to mine the Phulbari coalfield through open-cast mining would damage the environment.

Asia Energy regretted the violence but it rejected the protesters' claims, saying the "whole area will be restored to fertile and productive land'' once mining operations were completed.

"What the protection committee is saying is simply not true. There will be resettlement of around 40,000 people and all of them will be fully compensated,'' said the company's head of corporate affairs, Brian Mooney.

"Nobody will be made homeless. This project will produce vital energy source for Bangladesh and it will add one percent to the country's gross domestic product,'' he said.

Asia Energy's main activity is the development of the coal basin at Phulbari in northwest Bangladesh.

The company plans to invest $US1.4 billion ($1.8 billion) in the coalfield, which contains very high quality and low-sulphur bituminous coals that will be mainly used in power generation.

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