Voices Against Destruction: People's Resistance to the Orion’s Matarbari 635 MW Coal Power Plant

In 2024, Bangladesh government approved the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Orion Group’s controversial 635 MW coal-fired power plant in Matarbari, Cox’s Bazar. This decision reignited national and local resistance from civil society groups, environmental activists, and local residents who feared irreversible damage to the ecosystem, livelihoods, and public health.

This report chronicles a year-long campaign led by the Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development (BWGED), in collaboration with CLEAN, BELA, and other national and grassroots allies. It includes documented evidence of widespread opposition: a 1,000 person signature campaign, five high-profile advocacy initiatives, Mass Protest in several districts of Bangladesh and an unprecedented public hearing attended by over 400 residents.

From petitions to policymakers, to children’s art exposing the harm of coal, and finally to a symbolic verdict echoing the people’s will this movement culminated in a significant victory in mid-2025: the cancellation of the land lease agreement for the Orion project.

#Orion'sMatarbari635MWCoalPowerPlant

#LandLeaseCancelled