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A citizens'' pressure group has announced a protest programme, including a planned ''seige'' of Petrobangla''s head office on Sept 2, against the government''s recent decision to award gas exploration rights in the Bay of Bengal to foreign companies, reports bdnews24.com.
The group, calling itself the ''national committee to protect oil, gas, mineral resources, power and ports'', said the prime minister''s approval of offshore oil and gas exploration deals in the Bay of Bengal to two international companies, ConocoPhillips and Tullow Oil plc, ran counter to her pre-election pledges.
"The government is trading on the nation''s assets by allocating oil and gas rights in the Bay to a multinational companies," Sheikh Shahidullah, the group''s convener, told reporters at a press briefing at Mukti Bhaban in the city.
"We won''t let a single drop of oil or gas leave the country," said Shahidullah
In addition to the planned siege at state-owned Petrobangla''s Kawran Bazar headquarters, Shahidullah said protests would also be held out at UNO offices around the country.
On August 24, Bangladesh approved offshore oil and gas exploration deals with the two companies in three sea blocks in the resource-rich Bay, although the deals stipulated that they would not be permitted to operate in any disputed waters in the areas.
Shahidullah said his group demanded cancellation of the Model Production Sharing Contract 2008, adopted by the last caretaker government, saying pressure from "colonialists" had been behind it.
"The present government has decided to allow 80 percent export of our resources by multinational companies ConocoPhillips and Tullow Oil on a tender based on the anti-public interest model, devised during the tenure of the previous unelected government," said Shahidullah.
Anu Mohammad, the committee''s member secretary, said the present government was not working as the true representative of the people.
"The energy ministry and Petrobangla are working for multinational companies," said Mohammad.
"Now three of 28 blocks have been allocated to international companies, then gradually the rest will also be given over to them," he said.
Also attending the press briefing, Communist Party general-secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim said prime minister Sheikh Hasina had told the US president Bill Clinton in 2000 that Bangladesh gas would not be sold without ensuring a 50 year supply for the country.
"After such a promise, this latest agreement is extremely treacherous," said Selim.

source : http://www.newstoday-bd.com