Cox's Bazaar (PR) – Affected farming and fishing communities held a protest yesterday at the site of the proposed Matarbari coal plant Phase 2, demanding the Bangladesh government abandon plans to revive the controversial project.
The action was part of Draw the Line, a global week of mobilization (September 19-21) to demand urgent climate action as world leaders head to the UN General Assembly next week, building momentum towards the UN climate talks COP30.
In 2022, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) withdrew funding from Matarbari Phase 2 due to environmental concerns, after sustained pressure from international and local civil society organizations.
Bangladesh officials recently indicated intentions to seek alternative funding sources to proceed with the 1,200 MW coal plant, to the dismay of climate group 350.org Bangladesh.
"The world is moving away from coal, yet Bangladesh continues to burden its people with expensive, polluting projects that will lock us into decades of environmental destruction and debt," said Amanullah Porag, 350.org South Asia Mobilizations Coordinator.
"The Matarbari Phase 2 project represents everything wrong with Bangladesh's energy policy – it ignores community voices, threatens our coastal ecosystems, and saddles future generations with unsustainable debt. Instead of clinging to outdated coal technology, Bangladesh should embrace its abundant solar and wind potential. It's already been proven that we can meet our energy needs without sacrificing our health, environment, and future. The time to draw the line against coal is now," Porag added.
According to the International Energy Agency, after reaching a new high in 2024, global demand for coal is set to decline in the coming years, as renewable energy costs plummet.
Over 40 countries have committed to phasing out coal power, and major financiers worldwide are divesting from coal projects.
The construction of Matarbari Phase 1 has already displaced thousands of families from their lands. Due to environmental impacts such as the drying up and poisoning of rivers and waterways, communities have lost traditional livelihoods in salt cultivation and shrimp farming, forcing an estimated 20,000 people to migrate elsewhere.
Air pollution from the coal plant has also caused respiratory and cardiovascular diseases among families that remain in Matarbari.
“We are burning, our lands are dying, and our rivers are drying up. We draw the line on another coal plant that will drive away our families and turn our homes into a wasteland. As Bangladesh prepares to elect a new set of leaders, climate action must be on the agenda of reform. We must abandon fossil fuel projects and invest in the future with just, sustainable energy,” said Shahrukh Karim, a youth leader in Matarbari.
