[🇧🇩] Civilian/Military Nuclear Program in Bangladesh

[Bilal9]

the new place is just like the old place...

the more things change...

tsk

Bhai - there is such a thing called "post of no value".

Expressing an opinion is OK - but adding value to a conversation is better.

 

[Sharma Ji]

I have to admit that this bad relations with neighbors thing is indeed the case - even Indian political analysts admit it.

China ?

India Pak .. everyone knows the score
India BD .. new low
India Maldives .. fixed
India Sri Lanka .. good
India Nepal .. went bad when the commies took over. stable now
India Bhutan .. inconsequential, good as always
India Myanmar .. not hostile

complicated neighborhood, this

 

[Bilal9]

Thread is now re-opened.

Only serious and relevant on-topic discussion please.

Name-calling (whether to persons or countries) will not be tolerated.

 

[Bilal9]

Reactor assembly completed for Bangladesh's first nuclear unit​

Tuesday, 22 October 2024

The first unit at the Rooppur nuclear power plant in Bangladesh has had its reactor assembly completed.

(Image: Rosatom)

The Rooppur plant, 160 kilometres from the capital Dhaka, features two Russian VVER-1200 reactors. Rosatom in February 2011 signed an agreement for two reactors to be built at Rooppur for the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission.

The initial contract for the project, worth USD12.65 billion, was signed in December 2015. The Bangladesh Atomic Regulatory Authority issued the first site licence for the Rooppur plant in June 2016, allowing preliminary site works, including geological surveys, to begin.

Construction of the first unit began in November 2017. Construction of the second unit began in July 2018. They have an initial life-cycle of 60 years, with a further 20-year extension possible.

The reactor assembly process included the installation of reactor internals, such as the shaft and baffle, loading of dummy fuel and installation of a protective pipes unit. The next stage is hydraulic testing.

Alexey Deriy, Atomstroyexport JSC Vice President for Projects in Bangladesh, said: "Completion of the reactor assembly and getting prepared for key tests is an important stage to ensure the efficient operation of the future power unit. We are responsible for the safe, uninterrupted and reliable operation of the nuclear power plant being constructed ... [which] will contribute to a sustainable and prosperous energy future for Bangladesh."

The dummy fuel assemblies - exact replicas of standard fuel assemblies but without nuclear fuel - were loaded into unit 1 last month. Nuclear fuel, which was delivered to the site last year, will only be loaded after the tests with the dummy fuel assemblies have been successfully carried out.

 

[Saif]

রূপপুর পারমাণবিক বিদ্যুৎ কেন্দ্রের নিরাপত্তা বলয় সম্পর্কে জানলে চমকে উঠবেন

 

[Saif]

Construction, installation work done

The construction and installation works at Unit-1 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) have been completed, Russia's state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom said in a statement on Wednesday. The personnel of the RNPP has started a large-scale test programme for physical start-up, s

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Unit-1
Construction, installation work done
M Azizur Rahman
Published :
Dec 20, 2024 01:18
Updated :
Dec 20, 2024 01:18

The construction and installation works at Unit-1 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) have been completed, Russia's state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom said in a statement on Wednesday.

The personnel of the RNPP has started a large-scale test programme for physical start-up, said the statement. The first stage of operation began to bring the reactor plant to the rated parameters on December 18, it said.

During this stage, the operability of equipment and mechanisms will be tested. The reactor coolant pumps (RPC) will be launched and tested for the first time. The reactor plant will be tested at the rated parameters without nuclear fuel. Once the compliance of the equipment with all the design parameters is confirmed, the unit will be ready for the start-up operations, said the statement.

"We have entered the final preparation of Rooppur NPP Unit- 1 for the physical start-up. This is an important stage where we must carry out a large scope of work and tests to prove the operability of the process systems in all the operating modes," said Andrey Petrov, First Deputy Director General for Nuclear Energy of Rosatom and President of ASE.

"We fulfill all our obligations and guarantee the reliability and safety of our technologies. The first nuclear power plant in Bangladesh will support the country's economy and will work for the benefit of its future generations," he said.

Commissioning of RNPP will ensure supply of environmentally-friendly and safe energy providing for around 10 per cent of the total energy consumption in Bangladesh, the Rosatom statement said.

But the commissioning of the RNPP will face delays as the construction work of the required transmission line to evacuate electricity from the RNPP is not yet completed, said a senior official of Bangladesh's state-run Power Grid Company Bangladesh (PGCB).

Although the construction and installation work have been completed, the commissioning of the RNPP will not be possible without the transmission line, he said.

Building around 16 kilometer (km) of transmission lines over two major rivers - 9.0 km over the Jamuna River and 7.0 km over the Padma River - might be completed within the next several months, he said.

Maintaining frequency in the power transmission system from the RNPP project will be the biggest challenge after completion of the river-crossing power transmission lines, he said.

Fuel loading in the unit will start once construction of the transmission line is complete, the official added.

The PGCB official said that the construction work of the transmission line was halted during mid-July when the mighty river saw huge flow of water. After mid-July, the construction work ceased again due to the mass uprising that toppled the Awami League government on August 5, he said.

The RNPP equipped with two Russian VVER-1200 reactors having the total capacity of 2400 MW is being constructed at Ishwardi upazila in Pabna in accordance with General Contract signed on December 25, 2015.

The VVER-1200 reactors belong to evolutionary Generation III+ design which fully complies with all the international safety requirements. Engineering Division of Rosatom is the General Designer and General Contractor of the Rooppur project.​

 

[Saif]

ACC opens probe into alleged Rooppur nuclear project graft

Information from various open sources stated that the aforementioned project has been marred by financial irregularities amounting to about $5 billion.

en.prothomalo.com

ACC opens probe into alleged Rooppur nuclear project graft
BSS
Dhaka
Updated: 23 Dec 2024, 18: 36

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has initiated an enquiry into allegations of corruption, embezzlement and money laundering involved in Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project.

A special team of five ACC officials are conducting the entire enquiry, according to an ACC report titled 'A summary on alleged corruption and embezzlement in Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project'.

Information from various open sources stated that the aforementioned project has been marred by financial irregularities amounting to about $5 billion.

The report implicates ousted Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her Son Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed (Joy) and niece Tulip Siddiq embezzled $5 Billion from overpriced $12.65 billion Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

It is alleged that these individuals siphoned offs substantial sums of money through various offshore accounts in Malaysia, following questionable procurement practices related to the overpriced construction of the entire Nuclear Plant.

It has also been stated that the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project, which was initially launched with the noble goal of addressing Bangladesh's growing energy needs, now appears to be overshadowed by these serious allegations, the ACC report said.

The claims of kickbacks, mismanagement, money laundering, and potential abuse of power raise significant concerns about the integrity of the project and the use of public funds.

The allegations of corruption against Tulip Siddiq's family members:

Tulip's paternal uncle, Tarique Ahmed Siddique, is the Security Advisor to the deposed Bangladeshi Prime Minister, his wife and daughter are stakeholders in a fake company named Prochchaya Limited (Incorporation Certificate Number C-75659/09, dated 25 March 2009).

This company, in affiliation with a cheat fund company named Destiny Group, had laundered around $900 million to different countries, including the United Kingdom and has opened a company named Zumana Investment & Properties Limited [Incorporation Certificate Number 7417417, dated 25 October 2010] in the United Kingdom by investigating dirty money, the ACC said.

Various newspapers claim in the UK and worldwide that Labour Party MP Tulip Siddiq has maintained discreet connections with Moscow since she met President Putin.

Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Joy launder $300m to US:

According to other allegation, the name of Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed (Joy) first came up as a money laundering suspect in the United States versus Rizvi Ahmed case in 2014.

Later, a probe conducted by a powerful US intelligence agency uncovered serious financial scams involving Sajeeb Wazed.

It has also noted that in particular, information emerged that money was being laundered from various offshore bank accounts in Hong Kong and the Cayman Islands in his name to various bank accounts in Washington and New York in the United States and London in the United Kingdom through a local money exchange entity.

The US intelligence agency also confirmed the matter through their London representative and found evidence of serious financial irregularities and money laundering committed by Sajeeb Wazed.

It has also mentioned that Linda Samuels, Senior Trial Attorney of the Department of Justice, contacted Special Agent La Prevot and found that $300 million was deposited from Bangladesh to various bank accounts in the United States, the report said.

Moreover, the commission has initiated a new enquiry into Tk 800 billion corruption allegations against deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed, her younger sister Sheikh Rehana and Rehana's daughter and British minister Tulip Siddiq.

The alleged corruption involving Tk 800 billion occurred in nine projects, including the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and the Special Ashrayan Project during the Awami League government between 2009 and 2023, according to the allegation.

Recently, the special enquiry team has collected the preliminary identity documents from Election Commission office and from Immigration and Passport Department.

A special requisition report has been sent to Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) for supplying relevant documents and statements of offshore bank accounts running by the name of the suspected persons, according to the ACC report.​

 

[Saif]

Rooppur power plant: Tulip quizzed in UK over graft allegations

UK Treasury’s Economic Secretary Tulip Siddiq has been questioned by a Cabinet Office team on graft accusations brought by Bangladesh authorities.

www.thedailystar.net

Rooppur power plant: Tulip quizzed in UK over graft allegations

UK Treasury's Economic Secretary Tulip Siddiq has been questioned by a Cabinet Office team on graft accusations brought by Bangladesh authorities.

Tulip, niece of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, agreed to attend a meeting with a representative of the propriety and ethics team (PET), reports the Sunday Times.

On Thursday, she welcomed the official to her office and gave her response to allegations that she helped her family embezzle up to £3.9 billion from the Russia-backed Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project.

Her explanation about the Russia deal was accepted at face value and the fact that her holding the meeting does not indicate that there is any kind of civil service investigation into her, the Sunday Times said.

According to the report, the Cabinet Office said: "As previously stated, the minister has denied any involvement."

Tulip, who represents the constituency of Hampstead & Highgate, was unavailable for comments.

As economic secretary to the Treasury, she is responsible for tackling corruption in the UK's financial markets.

Daughter of Sheikh Rehana, Tulip is accused of helping her aunt Hasina broker a corrupt deal with Russia for the £10 billion Rooppur plant in 2013.

The same year she posed for a picture with Russian President Vladimir Putin and her aunt at a signing ceremony for the deal, the report said.

Citing sources close to her, the Sunday Times said allegations that she co-ordinated meetings between Bangladeshi and Russian officials are "trumped-up charges" and "completely politically motivated".

She is said to have repeated this view — and her belief that she is the victim of a "political hit job" — during her discussion with the PET official.

According to a source, she explained that she visited Moscow more than a decade ago to see her aunt because it was easier to fly to Russia than Bangladesh.

However, on Saturday the Daily Mail said that fresh questions had been raised over a $1 billion arms deal that was also signed at the meeting, the Sunday Times reported.

It also mentioned that the Mail said Hasina signed a deal for a $1 billion loan to Bangladesh to buy Russian weapons and military equipment.

Tulip was a Labour councillor at the time and became an MP in 2015. A party spokesman told the Mail: "The dealings of two countries from two years before Tulip became an MP have absolutely nothing to do with her."

Tulip, 42, has previously said that she only posed for Putin after he said: "Is your family here? I'd like a picture."

The Mail on Sunday reported that Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had a team of five officials gathering "documentary evidence" relating to Tulip and others, and was likely to write to them within weeks.

Depending on Tulip's response, investigators will decide whether to issue first information reports, which would make her an official suspect.

It is understood that Tulip has not yet been contacted by any of the relevant authorities, the Sunday Times reports.

A source told the British newspaper that officials were nervous about the potential for further embarrassment arising from her close relationship with Hasina, who, since being ousted, has been accused of crimes against humanity, including killing hundreds of protesters. Hasina fled to India in August following an uprising.

Tulip does not deny being close to Hasina, and previously praised her aunt as a "great role model", Sunday Times mentioned in its report.​