February 8, 2025, Barishal: A human chain was held in front of Ashwini Kumar Town Hall in Barishal at 10 am on February 8, 2025, jointly organized by Prantajon, Coastal Livelihood and Environment Action Network (CLEAN), and Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development (BWGED). The human chain demanded the immediate halt of LNG (liquefied natural gas) imports and a rapid shift to the use of renewable energy. People from various walks of life in Barishal city participated in the human chain. Environmentalists, students, social workers, and conscious citizens took part and chanted slogans like, “No fossil fuels, renewable energy is our future!”
At the gathering, Mr. Ranjit Dutta, Secretary of CAB, said that the dangerous impact of LNG imports on the environment and people of Bangladesh can no longer be tolerated. Experts say that LNG is not a sustainable fuel, but rather it is emerging as a long-term danger for Bangladesh. The price of LNG is extremely volatile in the world market, which is increasing the cost of electricity production in the country as well as the cost of living of the people. Especially at this time of crisis, the country’s economic crisis is being exacerbated by importing LNG.
Mr. Shubhankar Chakraborty, a member of the Environment and Development Forum, said, “LNG import is a suicidal decision. It is not only making the lives of the people difficult by increasing the cost of electricity, but its impact on the environment is also extremely harmful.” The speakers further said that burning LNG emits huge amounts of carbon dioxide and methane gas, which accelerates global warming and deepens the climate crisis.
Mr. Advocate Shubhash Dutta, Member Secretary of the Environment and Development Forum, said that there is huge potential for solar and wind energy in Bangladesh, and their use is also much cheaper. Sustainable power generation is possible by using solar energy in different regions of the country, which is much more environment-friendly and cost-effective than LNG. Experts believe that solar energy can be used to supply electricity to rural and remote areas. This will reduce the power shortage, reduce import dependence and create new employment opportunities. At the end of the program, Mr. Touhidul Islam Shahjada, Executive Director of Prantajon, said that we have to work together for the development of the country and the protection of the environment. He said, “LNG imports must be stopped and Bangladesh must be turned into an environment-friendly energy country by reducing dependence on fossil fuels. The time has come for everyone to come forward to use environment-friendly energy. It is now the demand of the time to build a safe, affordable and environment-friendly energy Bangladesh for our future generations. We have to build a sustainable and environment-friendly energy future for our country.”
This rally and campaign will serve as an important step to attract the attention and awareness of the people towards the use of environment-friendly energy not only in Barishal but also elsewhere in the country. The organizations said that this movement against LNG import will be expanded on a larger scale.
