Dhaka: The National Committee to Protect Oil-Gas, Natural Resources and Power-Port called a half-day hartal in Dhaka on Thursday to press home its 7-point demand, including cancellation of Rampal power plant project and all other projects harmful to the Sundarbans.

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 on Wednesday.

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.

‘But instead of accepting our demands, the government has been engaged in various activities which are harmful to the Sundarbans,’ the statement said.

‘As a result, we have been forced to announce the hartal programme,’ it added.

The statement also said the hartal will be in no way destructive. Rather it will be observed to protect the national wealth of Bangladesh. People will spontaneously observe the hartal in a peaceful manner.

The National Committee also urged people to keep shut their businesses and shops and suspend movement of all automotive vehicles till 2:00pm on Thursday.

But bicycles, rickshaws, vans, vehicles of media, electricity, fire-brigade, kitchen market and drug stores will remain out of preview of the hartal, said the statement.