Environmentalists and rights activists on Saturday formed a human chain in Rajshahi demanding worldwide halt in the investment on fossil fuel to save the earth.
The demand was raised at a time when the annual general meeting of the World Bank Group is being held in New York from 14 to 16 October.
Human rights and environmentalist organisations 'Paribartan’ and ‘Bangladesh Working Group on External Debt’ jointly organised the human chain at the city’s Aloka Intersection at 11am to press home their demand.
Addressing the human chain, the speakers said that a decision was taken in the climate change conference to stop carbon emissions to save the earth, the only habitat for human beings.
‘Despite the adverse impact of climate change , various countries including Bangladesh are setting up several coal based power plants’, said Rashed Ripon, Director of Paribartan.
He said there are protests throughout the country and abroad against the construction of Rampal Power Plant in Bagerhat in Bangladesh.
Rashed Ripon said that India's Adani Group is investing in various coal fired power plants including the Godda.
‘Coal-fired power plant set up in Jharkhand is likely to export electricity to Bangladesh. Coal tycoon Gautam Adani has now become the third richest man in the world. We have to save the world from these coal monsters’, he added.
The speakers demanded that the investment proposal in an environmentally friendly project should be accepted in the ongoing WB annual meeting by stopping all fossil fuel projects and transitioning to 100% renewables for all. The speakers called upon civil society to be more vocal in this regard. Among others, Rural Underprivileged and Landless Farmers Organisation Director Afzal Hossain, and Agni project district coordinator Hasibul Hasan spoke at the human chain.