The Project closing Dissemination of the ‘Fair, Green and Global’ (FGG) project was recently held on Monday, September 29, 2025, at the BDS Auditorium in Barishal. The project focused on protecting the livelihoods and rights of the landless and marginalized communities affected by the mega-projects transforming Kalapara Upazila of Patuakhali into the country’s ‘Power Hub’.
Launched in 2022, the project’s primary goal was to alleviate the sacrifices and suffering of the local people often overlooked in the pursuit of economic development and to secure their rights. Due to challenges such as land acquisition, environmental damage, unemployment, and forced eviction, over 4,786 families were affected by the acquisition of a total of 9,886.28 acres of land for the mega-projects. These challenges have led the area, once known as ‘Green Kalapara,’ to be colloquially renamed ‘Coalpara’ (Koylapara).
Key Achievements of the Project—–
• Securing Compensation and Housing: Successful advocacy facilitated direct communication between the affected people and the local administration. As a result, many families easily received their fair compensation money, bypassing middlemen and bureaucratic hurdles. Investigations into the housing problems of the Ashuganj Power Plant victims have been conducted, with promises of quick resolution. Furthermore, many affected families have received the deeds to their houses.
• Creating Alternative Livelihoods: To address the loss of traditional livelihoods for women, the project provided solar-based devices (solar sewing machines, solar incubators, and solar water pumps) based on their needs. This has helped 45 women find new paths to earning a living.
• Community Empowerment and Advocacy: People in the area, including 31 Community Groups under the project, are now aware of their rights. They can now speak up and protest their problems to the local administration and authorities.
• Environmental Protection: Through advocacy, the Ashuganj authorities were forced to stop filling up several canals, including the Hafiz Peda Canal, which was directly impacting the agriculture and lives of many people.
• Addressing Forced Evictions: Out of 136 landless families evicted for the construction of an alternative road by Payra Port, 22 families have received their housing, and land-filling work for the remaining 114 families is underway.
• Establishing Permanent Platforms: Two active platforms, the ‘Barishal Divisional Environmental and Public Safety Forum’ and the ‘Kalapara Environmental and Public Safety Platform,’ have been established to play a vital role in addressing local irregularities and issues.
Commitment to the Future–
Tohidul Islam Shahjada, Executive Director of Prantojon Trust, stated, “These successes are the result of the collective efforts of the people of Kalapara. We merely served as their voice. While many issues have been resolved, much work remains, especially in ensuring a just energy transition and protecting land rights. Our combined efforts must continue.”
The Project closing Dissemination was attended by affected families, local administration, civil society representatives, and project partners. Discussions were held on future action plans to ensure the full rights and dignity of the people of Kalapara, including strengthening the Community Groups and expanding the solar-based livelihood model.
The speakers concluded by emphasizing that economic development should never come at the expense of local people’s rights and the environment. This collective effort to protect the lives and land rights of the people of Kalapara will continue in the future.