Dhaka, 16th October 2014: Today thirteen right based civil society organizations led by EquityBD has organized a human chain and rally in front of the National Press Club, Dhaka demanding Government must redirect subsidy to the community-controlled renewable energy sources instead of huge subsidy to fossil fuel projects which are mainly responsible for carbon emission and threatening earth’s existence.
The rally and human chain is organized as a part of the global week of action titled ‘Reclaim Power’. Mustafa Kamal Akanda of EquityBD moderates the speech session of the human chain while the other speakers were Dr Mejbah Uddin Ahmed of Jatiya Sromik Jote, Badurl Alam of Bangladesh Krishok Federation, Prodip Kumar Roy of Online Knowledge Society and Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of EquityBD.
The thirteen organizations are Online Knowledge Society, Unnayan Dhara Trust, LRC, Asow Foundation, Community Development Partnership, CLEAN, Nobodahara Bangladesh, Bangladesh Adivasi Somity, Bangladesh Kishani Shova, Bangladesh Krishok Federation, Bangladesh Bumihin Somity, Bangladesh Jatiya Sromik Jote, BAFLF, and VOICE.
Mostafa Kamal Akanda of EquityBD reads out the position paper where there are four specific demands, (i) Stop projects using dirty energy and increasing carbon emissions, (ii) Stop public subsidy to the companies using dirty fossil fuel based energy e.g. Government of Bangladesh spending huge public money for paying the tax of US company Shevorn, (iii) Elite class and corporations must stop their habit of over consumption of fossil fuel, and (iv) Government must redirect subsidy to promote community controlled renewable energy sources.
Dr Mejbah Uddin Ahmed of Jatiya Sromik Jote said that government is being more and more dependent on foreign companies for generating electricity and they are using dirty energy, which, in fact, is a clear threat to the existence of this earth.
Badrul Alam of Bangladesh Krishok Federation said that, we should not think that there are no alternatives of fossil fuel for producing energy. There are successful examples.
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of EquityBD said that, government in fact is promoting new group of rich elite class by providing public subsidy to promote fossil fuel based private companies. But there are examples in the rural areas people already started using solar and renewable energy without any government subsidy. Government must redirect subsidy on those renewable energy sources.
Please Download [Bangla Press] [English_Press] [Leaflet]
Photos
 |
 |
Newspaper Link
 |
 |
 |
