Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed the authorities concerned to complete work on Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant within the stipulated time.
“I hope work on the power plant will go ahead speedily in line with the timeframe,” she said.
Hasina was presiding over a meeting of the national committee for monitoring and providing necessary directives for properly implementing the
nuclear power plant project.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim said the meeting discussed in details the overall progress of the mega project and reviewed the progress of the decisions taken in its previous meeting held in August 2013.
Science and technology ministry secretary Sirajul Haque Khan made a presentation on the nuclear project.
The prime minister said her government during its 1996-2001 term had taken initiatives for the execution of the project after holding discussions with the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA).
But, after the changeover of power, the successive government did not take any initiative for implementing this project, she added.
After assuming office again in 2009, the prime minister said, her government took a fresh drive for executing the project with the IAEA’s permission.
Before taking up the project, Hasina said she had received assurance from Russia that the Russian authorities concerned will manage the wastes of the nuclear power plant since Bangladesh has no such experience in this regard.
Through implementation of this project, she said, the country’s power generation capacity will get a boost, while the Bangladeshi scientists will be able to gather necessary knowledge on nuclear power.
Besides, she said, jobs for a huge number of people will be generated in the project area.
Earlier on December 25, the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) and Russian company JSC Atomstroyexport signed a contract for construction of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
BAEC chairman Monirul Islam and Atomstroyexport vice president Vladimir N Savuskhin signed the contract on behalf of their respective organisations.
Atomostroyexport, the contractor appointed by Russia’s state-owned atomic power body, Rosatom, will construct the NPP at a cost of $12.65bn.
The nuke plant project (first phase) was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on April 2, 2013 with an estimated cost of 50.87bn taka. The first phase is expected to be completed by December 2016.