Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Sunday extended its support to a half-day hartal to be enforced by the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports on January 26 demanding cancellation of Rampal power plant project near the Sundarban.

BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi came up with the announcement at a press conference at the party's central office in Nayapaltan.

'The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports has long been on a movement to save the Sundarbans and called a half-day hartal in Dhaka for January 26. BNP extends its all-out support to the programme in the interest of people,' he said.

Earlier on November 26, he national committee announced that it will enforce a half-day hartal in the city on January 26 if the government does not cancel the Rampal coal-fired power plant project by two months.
 
Rizvi alleged that the government is going to set up the power plant to protect the interests of local and foreign plunderers, putting the Sundarbans and its biodiversity at stake. 'It's the duty of all of us to save the world heritage and the country's natural shield Sundarbans.'

He criticised the government for what he said its rigid stance on implementing the power plant project near the Sundarbans despite the strong opposition by people from all walks of life and internal community.

'They (govt) are doing it only to appease their foreign master. The country's patriotic people will wage another liberation war braving all the obstacles if the undemocratic and subservient force tries to implement the project only to pacify its master,' the BNP leader warned.