Bangladesh News

Rajshahi Mayor Mizanur Rahman Minu yesterday said the opposition combine’s conspiracy to create anarchy over Phulbari incident was thwarted.
“The conspirators who tried to gain politically by creating anarchy have been let down,” Minu, also a ruling BNP legislator, told reporters after returning from Phulbari, Dinajpur.

Minu had led the government team in negotiations over the Phulbari crisis at Parbatipur and gave assurance to people in Phulbari on August 30 that Asia Energy would wrap up their business from Bangladesh and no open-pit mining would be allowed in the country.

He said a vested quarter compared the low key Phulbari issue with the Kansat incident in Chapainawabganj and tried to damage the image of the government. “Provoking violence instead of solving problems bears signs of their ill intentions,” he added.

Reassuring people of the government’s firm stance on implementing the pledges it made to Phulbari people, he said, “The alliance government works for the land and the people and it will not allow any anti-people activities.”

The mayor avoided answering when asked why the government allowed Asia Energy to go this far in implementing open-pit mining while the government now terms it ‘anti-people’.

Natun Probhat, a local newspaper largely influenced by the mayor, on Thursday quoting Minu said local Awami League played a role behind the Phulbari incident.

“Local AL lawmaker Mustafizur Rahman from behind the scenes provoked people towards violence instead of asking them to remain calm,” the newspaper quoted Minu as saying.