February 22, 2025, Barishal: A protest and human chain was held today, Wednesday, February 25, at 10 am in front of Barishal Circuit House, jointly organized by PRANTOJON, Coastal Livelihood and Environment Action Network (CLEAN), and Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development (BWGED), against the government’s controversial LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) contract with Argent LLC and demanding alternative clean energy. People from various walks of life in Barishal city participated in the protest. Environmentalists, students, social workers, and concerned citizens took part and highlighted the economic and environmental damages of the LNG contract.

At the Protest, CAB secretary Mr. Ranjit Dutt said that this agreement is increasing dependence on expensive fossil fuels, while the alternative of affordable renewable energy is being neglected. They warn that LNG imports will weaken the country’s economy and that the use of fossil fuels will expose the coastal population to the severe effects of climate change, which cannot be tolerated in any way.

Mr. Tauhedul Islam Shahazada, Executive Director of Prantajon, said that Bangladesh needs to move forward on energy security, not the trap of expensive and environmentally harmful LNG imports. It is important to invest in solar and wind power instead of fossil fuel contracts for corporate interests.

Mr. Shubhankar Chakraborty, a member of the Environment and Development Forum, said that LNG imports should be stopped and dependence on fossil fuels should be reduced to turn Bangladesh into an environmentally friendly energy country. The time has come for everyone to come forward to use environmentally friendly energy. It is now time to build a safe, affordable, and environmentally friendly energy Bangladesh for our future generations. We need to build a sustainable and environmentally sound energy future for our country.

Mr. Advocate Shubhash Dutt, Member Secretary of the Environment and Development Forum, said that LNG is not a sustainable fuel, but rather it is emerging as a long-term danger for Bangladesh. The price of LNG is very 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 by raising the price. In particular, by importing LNG at this time of crisis, the country’s economic crisis is being exacerbated.

At the end of the protest, a demand was made to the policymakers to cancel the LNG contract, and a call was made to keep the promise of promoting clean and sustainable energy.