Dhaka: The National Committee to Protect Oil-Gas, Natural Resources and Power-Port will observe a half-day hartal in the capital on January 26 if the government does not cancel the Rampal coal-fired power plant project near the Sundarbans by then.

Committee member secretary Prof Anu Muhammad made the announcement from a protest rally held in front of National Press Club on Monday.

The protest rally was organised as part of the National Committee’s programmes to save the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest.

Anu Muhammad alleged that the government is going ahead with the power project ignoring mass people’s opinions.

He also claimed that the mangrove forest has been at stake for growing industries around it as the government is not looking into the country’s interest.

The meeting was also addressed by National Committee leaders Ruhin Hossain Prince, Bazlur Rashid Firoze, Saiful Haque, Moshrafa Mishu and Zonayed Saki.

Speakers said people will resist through a united movement the government's move to set up the Rampal power plant. People will come out victorious in the anti-Rampal movement to save the Sundarbans, they said.

They also alleged the government has been engaged in serving the interests of the local and international vested business-interest groups.

The rally announced that the National Committee will present an alternative plan on January 14 before the nation to resolve the country’s power crisis.

The National Committee also urged those who love the Sundarbans and live around the globe to register protests on January 7 in various countries to force the government to cancel the power plant project.