Editorial: Police fire is no answer

THE death of four people in police fire when villagers were holding protests against the move for the construction of a power plant at Banskhali in Chittagong is shocking, indeed. But what is disparaging in it is the way the law enforcers, the government for that matter, dealt with the protesters and protests, which had gone on in the place for a few weeks. The administration on Monday, when the killing took place, ordered a ban on gathering in the village, some 30 miles away from the port city, as tension had run high centring on the protests against the Chinese-funded, coal-fired power plant by local conglomerate S Alam Group. In the thick of the protests, as New Age reported on Tuesday, the law enforcers fired into the villages, leaving four dead and at least 20 others wounded. Neither the police fire nor the way the government was viewing the whole process, and protests, as a whole is acceptable.

It is true that Bangladesh needs power and needs to set up plants to produce power. But there is no reason to be believe that there was no other places around for the installation of the power plant. When such projects are taken up, for any place in the country, it is the government’s responsibility to choose the location for such projects judiciously and only after consultation with all the stakeholders. In doing so, the government is expected to make people living in the areas aware of the merits and demerits of the projects, their impact on people’s livelihood, economy and society and their impact on the environment, corroborated with facts taken from environmental impact assessment and other such surveys and examinations properly carried out in national interest. And by doing so, the government can save a lot of trouble on many fronts. As a whole, the government cannot just go to a place, acquire the land and allow installation on the land, ignoring the people. In the case at hand, the report quoted a union council chairman alleging that the land needed for the plant was ‘grabbed’ and no compensation was paid to the owners. This leaves the government with another task of looking into the allegation and taking steps, in the right direction, if the allegation is found to be true, in addition to bringing to justice the law enforcers who fired into the protesters.

Under the circumstances, the government is well advised to stop such high-handed attitude about any development projects. Whenever such projects are forthcoming, the government should carry out all surveys needed, sit with all stakeholders, more with the people who could be negatively impacted by way of such efforts, convince them, make them aware, settle all prickly issues and then proceed. And in the present case in question, the government should bring to justice the law enforcers who fired into the protesters and understand that police fire is no answer to the issue, and any other such matters, that happened in Chittagong.