e_Paper, Monday, May 15, 2017

Opinion 13
Is Rampal worth the political cost?
DT
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
Given the public backlash, AL’s inflexibility on Rampal is one of the few mysteries in our politics today
Considering the fact that the
protests are led by the Left Front
of sorts -- who have limited public
clout -- one suspects that it was
the issue itself that is seen as very
sensitive rather than the protests.
The government seems to
have felt obligated to go after the
protesters.
The overzealous reaction
by the government has raised
questions about how independent
Bangladesh is, or can be, when it
comes to deciding such bilateral
projects with India.
But Indian analysts say that
after helping neutralise India’s
North East insurgency by refusing
sanctuary to activists, India feels
indebted to Bangladesh and to
Hasina. If Hasina goes back on
Rampal, India will not push to
ensure continued anti-insurgency
support.
In that case, why the politically
risky pursuit of defending Rampal?
Investor hesitation
Meanwhile, the hesitation of
European investors in Indian
Rampal contractors has
been increasing, and some
Scandinavian countries have
already conveyed their reluctance
to participate. The French are
also not happy, and many other
countries are not keen in an
environmentally stigmatised
project.
This is not because they care
about the environment, but such
a tag carries stigma which may
affect share market value.
protestors are a political construct,
however small, so she wants to
avoid being “flexible.” By giving
approval to the anti-Rampal lobby,
BNP has made the issue a matter of
honour for the AL to stick it out.
As things heat up, and it
becomes even more of a politicalpartisan
issue, AL will not be
enjoying this, particularly when
the elections are approaching.
For a party that has shown it is
ready to make any alliance as long
as it is convenient, including with
Hefazat -- a force that actually
tried to topple her -- her refusal to
be more flexible on Rampal seems
odd.
Barring BNP and Jamaat-e-
Islami, she is not keen on a conflict
course with any force. So why this
stance on Rampal?
Will it affect voting?
Public dislike for the Rampal
project is likely to grow stronger
the longer this issue is allowed
to fester. That dislike may well
translate into votes for the
opposition, and this vote is not
from a small Qawmi Madrasa
fringe but the larger national pool.
It is the mainstream vote, a part
of the floating voters who decide
every election result unless there
is a massive wave. Exactly why
AL is so inflexible on Rampal is
becoming a bigger question than
the project itself.
It’s possible that Hasina will
not back down as long as her
opponents have a political banner.
It might be useful to form a neutral
It might be useful to form a neutral body of
scientists to actually explore the contentions
regarding the Rampal project and help the
government decide whether the project is too
politically toxic
The government is going ahead with the Rampal power plant despite large scale popular protests
MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
• Afsan Chowdhury
What began as a
well-meaning
environmental
activist movement
has become a full-blooded political
one, with friends and enemies
on both sides stretching beyond
borders.
The arguments of the anti-
Rampal lobby have firmly been
grounded in emotive spaces from
the beginning.
The National Oil and Gas
Protection Committee name
itself evokes a mission to protect
national interests. What was once
just an energy project has become
a symbolic case to test the present
government’s commitment to
public sentiment, not just the
environment. To this is the added
anxiety about how free it is when
dealing with India.
Indo-Bangla pressure point?
The Rampal project has already
proven a major pressure on
Indo-Bangla relations with casual
speculation about a brow-beating
India.
Already, Rampal has been redflagged
by many environmental
groups internationally and the
fall-out is now making association
with it embarrassing.
But what sort of option does it
leave open for Hasina now?
If she withdraws by herself she
will be seen as weak for having
bowed down to public pressure,
and that could end up sending a
signal to her political enemies that
she wants to avoid.
Her main strategy is to appear
strong and act from that position
of strength. In that case, the
body of scientists to actually
explore the contentions regarding
the Rampal project and help the
government decide whether the
project is too politically toxic to go
ahead with.
As the controversy becomes
bigger than the project, Hasina
will have to face tough decisions
ahead, and they are going to be
more political in nature than
about energy production in an
environmentally sensitive area. •
Afsan Chowdhury is a multi-media
journalist, historian, and litterateur.