Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to brief media on Saturday about the proposed Rampal coal-fired power plant project at Bagherhat.

The prime minister’s press secretary Ehsanul Karim told NTV Online the press briefing will be held at Sheikh Hasina’s official residence Gono Bhaban at about 4:00pm.

The power plant project is a joint venture of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited of India under the name of Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company.

The construction of the power plant has become a controversial issue as the mangrove forest is situated about 14 kilometres away from the proposed 1,320-megawatt power plant site.

Environment experts warned that the power project would bring more harm to the country than good, destroying the World Heritage site, since the climate, topography, land use pattern, wetlands, floral and faunal diversity and quality of air and water in the Sundarbans will be affected due to the power plant.