The Democratic Left Alliance, although has a remote possibility to go to power, is engaged in mobilising popular public opinion and emerge as an alternative force beyond the influence of the two major alliances led by BNP and Awami League. Recently, the alliance had successfully mobilised a certain level of public opinion in favour of its movement for protecting the national resources and ports from multinational companies.

Apart from street demonstrations, they have enforced a half-day hartal, though observed partially, in Dhaka city last month under the banner of National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port . On September 24, the committee organised a demonstration near Petrobangla headquarters in Dhaka demanding that the government scrap its decision to award three offshore blocks to international oil companies allowing gas export.

They warned of tougher programmes like hartal and siege if the government signs production sharing contracts with the International oil companies (IOCs). The citizens' group initiated by the Democratic Left Alliance has been systematically campaigning against the successive governments' attempts at contracting foreign companies to explore coal and gas through deals which it finds uneven, shady and against national interests.

"The oil-gas and mineral resources belong to the nation as per the Constitution of the country and the present government has no right to export 80 per cent of our oil and gas by leasing the gas blocks to international oil companies", asserts Saiful Huq, the current coordinator of the Democratic Left Alliance and Secretary General of Revolutionary Workers Party.

The patriotic people of the country will not allow export of a single unit of gas without the fresh mandate from the people since the Awami League government never mentioned such intention in its election manifesto or its charter of "changing the day", Saiful Huq said. " We want our national resources to be used by ourselves for our development and not by foreign plunderers for their benefit" Engineer Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah, convener of the national committee said while explaining the reason for their movement.

The national committee is going to hold its national conventions in Dhaka on October 24 and regional conferences in five divisional headquarters. According to their plan, the regional convention in Barisal will be held on October 7, in Khulna on October 9, in Rajshahi on October 10, in Chittagong on October 14 and in Sylhet on October 16. The Left Democratic Alliance will hold a rally at city's Muktangan this afternoon in support of the national convention, said Bazlur Rashid Firoz, the immediate past coordinator of the alliance.

Meanwhile, Major Gen (rtd) Subed Ali Bhyuiyan, MP, Chairman of parliamentary standing committee expressed his intention to sit for a dialogue as offered by the national committee. However, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her recent interview with the Voice of America blamed the orgaisers of the movement for acting against the interest of the country.

Apart from the issue of oil and gas and maritime problems, the Alliance is also mobilising public support against the construction of Tipaimukh Dam across Bangladesh border and the TIFA and Transit Agreement with India, said Bazlur Rashid. The Alliance's current activities involve distribution of leaflets, organising public meetings and strengthening party units, Firoz said adding that they were further involving their workers in organising the people on the local issues that concern the people of the localities.

-New Nation