Dhaka: Police chased and fired tear gas shell to the demonstrators of the half-day shutdown enforced in Dhaka by National Committee to Protect Oil-Gas, Natural Resources and Power-Port against the Rampal power plant project and all other projects harmful to the Sundarbans.

The committee called the hartal in Dhaka on Thursday from 6:00am to 2:00pm to press home its 7-point demand, including withdrawal of Rampal project and resolving nagging power and gas crisis.

On Thursday morning, the leader and activists of National Committee to Protect Oil-Gas, Natural Resources and Power-Port took stand at Shahbagh. Police fired tear gas and water-canon to disperse the protesters. On the other hands, the hartal supporters also hurled stones to the law enforcers.

The protestors staged demonstration in front of the public library and Charukola at Shahbagh crossing. The campaigners claimed they cannot move forwards due to police barricade.

However, leaders and activists of several leftist student fronts are also observing the hartal.

Earlier on Wednesday, National Committee convener Engineer Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah and member secretary Professor Anu Mohammad urged the city dwellers to observe the hartal in a joint statement issued.

They also urged people to register their protests through the hartal against the government’s move for setting coal-fired Rampal power plant near the Sundarbans.

In the statement, they said that the committee has been observing different peaceful programmes, including long march, protest rally and grand meeting for the last 7 years to press home their 7-point demand, including cancellation of Rampal project and resolving nagging power and gas crisis.