Protesters give deadline to meet 6-point demand

The Field Manager and security staff of Canadian company Niko could not come out of the gas field complex during the siege from 6 AM.

However, no untoward incident took place.

During the siege, the people also held at a rally in front of the gas field gate, where speakers gave a deadline till June 3 to accept their demands or to face tougher agitation.

They said a fresh agitation programme will be announced on July 3.

Azimuddin Master, convener of the Tengratila Dabi Aday Sangram Parishad chaired the rally, which was followed by a procession.

The 6-point demands includes immediate payment of Tk. 84 crore in compensation for environmental loss, proper compensation to 611 families affected by the blow

outs and inclusion of 28 families to the list, employment for locals, establishment of a gas based 50 MW power plant near Tengratila, arrangement for supply of safe drinking water to villages in the gas field area and setting up of a health complex in the area.

People of the villages affected by the blowouts in the gas field during drilling did not get compensation even after one and a half years of the incident.

The first blowout took place in the field on the night of June 24 last year.

The Canadian company and the government is still silent about compensation.