It also demanded investigation into the killings, punishment to the persons responsible and compensation for the deceased and injured.

The committee at a press conference at the office of Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) in the capital also declared a 3-day programme including countrywide mourning today and a half-day hartal on August 30.

Besides, the committee declared a countrywide agitation programme tomorrow and endorsed the indefinite hartal in Phulbari and its adjacent areas called by the locals demanding expulsion of Asia Energy.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL)-led Chhatra Sangram Parishad and Progressive Students Alliance called a strike in all educational institutions across the country today protesting the Phulbari killings.

Addressing the press conference, the national committee's member secretary Professor Anu Muhammad said laying siege to the office of AEC in Phulbari of Dinajpur was a peaceful and democratic programme of the national committee, but the police and BDR shot to kill the participants of the programme without provocation when they were barricaded about half a kilometre away from the office.

He said there was no attack from the rally to prompt the law enforcers to shoot. "Our rally was about half a kilometre away from the AEC office and therefore, attacking that office is out of question."

Some of the demonstrators only threw some brickbats at an information centre of AEC, which was empty. This can never be a reason for the government to kill its citizens when they have reasonable demands, he said.

Anu Muhammad, an Economics professor at Jahangirnagar University, continued by saying the half-day hartal that the committee called can never be comparable to any other hartal called by the political parties or other organisations. "This hartal is to establish people's authority on the property of their motherland."

AEC's coal extraction project at Phulbari coal mine is not for the development of the country, but it is intended for destroying the country's resources, he added.

Anu Muhammad said hundreds of thousands of people in the area will be without shelters, while the environment and water level in the surrounding areas will be seriously damaged if the AEC extracts coal by open mine method.

When the government did not confirm any mining contract with AEC, the company has been claiming to have one. They are bribing professionals and businesses and have begun setting up of machinery, construction of different structures including water tanks.

There are records that the successive governments have always played hide and seek with such contracts of natural resources and this is the reason why "...we felt obligated to protest the Phulbari coal mine project strongly."

"We are not against the extraction of coal, but we don't want the people's lives and the environment be endangered due to the project," Anu Muhammad said, adding that the country will not gain from the project, as the company will export two-thirds of total coal.

Answering to the question why the open method of coal extraction is a threat to the environment of the area when Australia and India are doing so, Anu Muhammad told the reporters that the geological situation and the density of population at Phulbari is not comparable to those of the countries mentioned.

He also said that the committee is disinclined to the political parties like Awami League or the 14-party in regard to their programme, but requested all to participate in their programmes.

Former PDB Chairman Nuruddin Mahmud Kamal said AEC made no comprehensive feasibility study, but it did all other studies in secret so that the results go in their favour.

Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology Professor Shamsul Alam said AEC has no water management policy in the project. If the project is implemented, it could make the water situation in the area worse.

The national committee convenor engineer Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah, CPB Secretary General Mujahidul Islam Selim, CPB leader Haider Akbar Khan Rono, comrade Enamul Haque and journalist Syed Abul Maksud were also present.

Advocate Sultana Kamal of Ain O Salish Kendra, Shamsul Huda of Association for Land Reform and Development, Syeda Rizwana Hassan of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers' Association, Taslimur Rahman of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, Mahfuzullah of Centre for Sustainable Development, Mahin Sultana of Naripokkho and Khushi Kabir of Nijera Kori in a joint statement strongly condemned the killings.

They also demanded an end to all AEC activities, investigation into the killings, punishment of the persons responsible and compensation to the killed and injured.