Violent protests over coal mine killings spread in Bangladesh

Deutsche Presse Agentur
Published: Tuesday August 29, 2006

Dinajpur, Bangladesh- Law enforcers in Dinajpur, northern Bangladesh, banned rallies and demonstrations and called in auxiliary troops on Tuesday as violent protests over the killing of eight pro- environment activists spread, officials said. Witnesses said angry mobs had set fire to offices and residential quarters used the British firm Asia Energy which had won a contract to mine coal in Phulbari.

Angry mobs were seen Tuesday going from house to house seeking out property owned by the mining company for destruction, a local news agency reported.

Authorities in the town, around 410 kilometres north of Dhaka, called for more troops from the border battalion Bangladesh Rifles to help restore order and stop the violence from spreading to nearby districts.

"We are asking for reinforcements so that lawlessness can be curbed quickly in the greater public interest," said district commissioner Tahsinur Rahman.

Local reports claimed angry protesters went on a rampage in suburban areas of Dinajpur on Tuesday.

An official of the Asia Energy said all their staff had been evacuated from Dinajpur under police protection.

Around 30,000 people protested at the weekend, witnesses said after reports by environment groups claimed the mining operation would displace around 10,000 families and destroy some of the most fertile land growing rice, the nation's staple diet.

Asia Energy officials said their mining process would not harm the environment and no large scale displacement of population was required.

The pro-environment activists were shot dead in clashes with riot police and paramilitary border troops on Saturday in what appeared to be one of the bloodiest confrontations in recent years in the relatively poor northern hinterland where environment groups and farming communities demanded the plans to mine the area be scrapped.

© 2006 DPA - Deutsche Presse-Agenteur