[🇧🇩] Civilian/Military Nuclear Program in Bangladesh

[Saif]

No more cost and time overruns

Govt must quickly complete Rooppur and other important projects

www.thedailystar.net

No more cost and time overruns
Govt must quickly complete Rooppur and other important projects

It is encouraging that the government has prioritised the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project in its revised Annual Development Plan. The project has received the highest allocation for a single project in the revised ADP, as the government wants to make it operational as quickly as possible. After Rooppur, the Matarbari coal-fired power plant project has received the second-highest allocation. Three other Jica-funded projects on Dhaka's transport system—MRT-6, MRT-1, and MRT-5—have also received large allocations in the revised ADP. However, the allocations for most other projects have been cut as their implementation have been slow or hampered due to political unrest in the country.

The timely completion of the Rooppur and Matarbari projects is crucial to meeting the country's growing energy demands. According to the original project proposal for Rooppur, Unit-1 of the power plant was supposed to go into operation in December 2022, Unit-2 in October 2023, and the entire project was scheduled for completion by December 31, 2025. However, implementation has been delayed for several reasons—with the government now wanting to complete it by December 2027. Reportedly, the total cost of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project is Tk 1,14,225 crore, with the majority financed by Russia. As of June last year, around Tk 75,000 crore had been spent from the total cost. In the revised ADP for FY25, the government approved Tk 2,16,000 crore for the project. Five other projects related to the electricity line, high-frequency telecommunications system, and water supply for the power plant also received an increased allocation.

The government must ensure that the funds are spent transparently, without corruption or irregularities. During the previous regime, excessive amounts were spent on purchasing furniture and other items for the officials and employees of the project, and the salaries fixed for them were also unusually high. We hope that such irregularities will not be repeated and that those involved in misconduct will be brought to book. This will set a precedent in a country where development projects are often mired in corruption.

Additionally, the government must ensure that this and other megaprojects do not cause any harm to the environment. Many of the country's megaprojects were undertaken by the previous government without conducting proper feasibility studies or obtaining the necessary environmental clearances. Going forward, we must move away from such poor practices. Finally, implementing these projects within the stipulated time and budget is crucial to preventing the misuse and waste of public funds.​

 

[Saif]

IAEA conducts pre-operational review of Rooppur power plant

The team will inspect all the safety issues of the plant's structural, technical and equipment-related preparation and documentation

www.thedailystar.net

IAEA conducts pre-operational review of Rooppur power plant

Photo Courtesy- Sujon/Wikipedia

An expert team was in Bangladesh on Monday to sign off on the South Asian country's first nuclear power plant in Rooppur ahead of the facility's expected operational start later this year.

Construction on the Russia-backed nuclear plant at Rooppur began in 2017 during the tenure of former premier Sheikh Hasina, whose family has been accused of taking kickbacks from the deal.

The much-delayed 2,400-megawatt project is aimed at bolstering an overstretched energy grid and will be Bangladesh's largest power station by generating capacity once fully operational.

A delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was onsite Monday to conduct a pre-operational safety review of the plant, project director Md. Zahedul Hassan told AFP.

"The team will inspect all the safety issues of the plant's structural, technical and equipment-related preparation and documentation as per the IAEA's safety standards," he said.

Hassan said a further, final safety review would be held two to three months before the loading of nuclear fuel into the plant's twin reactors, expected in the middle of this year.

Transmission lines needed to connect the plant to the national grid are expected to be finished by the end of this month, he added.

The Rooppur plant was the most expensive infrastructure project undertaken by Hasina -- a $12.65 billion project, 90 percent funded by a loan from Moscow.

After Hasina's ouster in a student-led revolution last year, the interim government that replaced her launched a probe into the project's finances.x​

 

[Saif]

রূপপুর পারমাণবিক বিদ্যুৎকেন্দ্র পরীক্ষামূলক চালু শিগগির ​

 

[Saif]

Gridline woes delay Rooppur Power Plant launch

The issue was highlighted during an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection in March

www.thedailystar.net

Gridline woes delay Rooppur Power Plant launch

Photo of ongoing construction work with the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in the backdrop taken from Veramara point of the river Padma in the Kushtia side. Photo: Ahmed Humayun Kabir Topu/Star

The commissioning of Bangladesh's first-ever nuclear power plant at Rooppur faces delays due to incomplete gridline work, particularly the crucial 2-km stretch over the mighty Padma river.

The issue was highlighted during an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection in March, which identified 17 areas requiring updates to meet operational standards.

The inspection team identified 17 areas that need to be developed to meet the desired standards, including the completion of a 2-kilometre gridline over the Padma river for the operational phase of the first unit of the 2,400-megawatt nuclear power plant, according to a top official of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP).

He said other notable areas needing updates include the internal fire extinguishing system and waste management inside the facility. The rest of the issues are not that serious and can easily be updated, he added.

"The recent visit of the IAEA's team has inspired us, as we have received directions to develop different sectors. We are working to complete the necessary tasks," Dr Zahedul Hasan, project director of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, told The Daily Star.

Photo: ROSATOM

He said the inspection team expressed satisfaction with 24 areas in their findings. However, for the commissioning of the first unit, completing the gridline work is a major task ahead.

"We need to complete the gridline work, including the 2-km river crossing line in the Padma, for the necessary tests for the physical start-up of Unit-1," said Dr Zahedul.

A total of 669 km of grid lines, including 16km of river crossing lines across both the Padma and Jamuna rivers, is required for power transmission to the national grid from the country's first nuclear power plant.

Line construction on plain land is almost complete, but major work on the river crossing lines over the Padma and Jamuna rivers has seen slow progress. Dr Hasan said 94 percent of the physical work of Unit-1 has already been completed.

Engineer Md Delwar Hossain, project director of the river crossing transmission line for the Rooppur project, said they expect to complete the Padma crossing line by May.

"Ninety percent of the work on the Padma has already been completed. We have completed piling work on two towers in the river, and construction on two towers on the banks of the river has started. We expect to complete the entire river crossing line within May," said Delwar.

Photo: Ahmed Humayun Kabir Topu/Star

He said after completing the river crossing line, the Rooppur-Gopalganj grid line will be connected to the power plant.

He attributed delays in river-crossing gridline work to funding problems, lack of equipment support, and excessive flooding last year. However, the gridline work on plain land has already been completed.

"We are optimistic about finishing the 144km Rooppur-Gopalganj gridline work by May to June this year," said Delwar.

Dr Zahedul said the physical start-up and pre-inspection by the IAEA's Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) depend on completing the gridline.

The IAEA's OSART programme assists member states in strengthening the safety of their nuclear power plants during commissioning and operation by comparing actual practices with IAEA safety standards.

"If the gridline work is completed within June, we will need another three to four months to go for the physical start-up of Unit-1 in October," he said.

He said they would invite the OSART team for pre-inspection once the gridline is completed. "We are unable to fix an OSART pre-inspection team due to repeated delays in gridline work," said the RNPP project director.

He mentioned running a series of tests through the 400kV Bogura-Rooppur grid line to reach the physical start-up stage.

"Recently, we completed a test in the primary circuit of Unit-1 with 24.5-megapixel pressure. This is one of the biggest tests before the physical start-up of the plant," the project director added.

The 2,400MW power plant is being built in the Rooppur area of Pabna district for $12.65 billion, with Russia providing 90 percent of the project's funding as a loan.

Russian state-owned Rosatom is constructing the power plant with two VVER-1200 reactors, each having a capacity of 1,200 MW.

Construction of Unit-1 formally began on November 30, 2017, and Unit-2 on July 14, 2018.

According to the original project proposal, Unit-1 was to be operational by December 23, 2022, and Unit-2 by October 8, 2023, with the entire project scheduled for completion by December 31, 2025.

However, the project deadline was extended by two years, rescheduling the commissioning of Unit-1 to December 2024.

Dr Md Shafiqul Islam, professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Dhaka University, said, "The project has been delayed due to several inter-related factors, including incomplete safety tests and compliance procedures required for power start-up, uncertainty regarding actual project costs impacting the finalization of the power purchase agreement, lack of necessary gridlines, the preparedness of certified reactor operators, and the absence of an established emergency preparedness and response centre."

He, however, expressed hope that all these issues would be resolved before the physical start-up.​

 

[Saif]

Salaries stalled for Atomic Energy Commission staff

The staff of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission has not received salaries and other payments after February this year, apparently owing to some disagreement between the science and technology ministry and the commission over the method of fund disbursement...

www.newagebd.net

Salaries stalled for Atomic Energy Commission staff
Staff Correspondent 20 April, 2025, 23:39

The staff of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission has not received salaries and other payments after February this year, apparently owing to some disagreement between the science and technology ministry and the commission over the method of fund disbursement.

Pensions have not been paid either to the retired officials of the agency during this time.

A high official of the commission, seeking anonymity, said that they last received salaries in February and had not received any salary or Eid bonus since then.

The official said that the Ministry of Science and Technology used to send the allocated budget to the commission’s account, through which salaries and pensions were disbursed.

The official said that the ministry now wanted to disburse the payments through the Integrated Budget and Accounting System (iBAS++) software, which the commission had not agreed to, leading the ministry to halt the release of funds.

The official also said that the ministry last released the allocated budget in December 2024, and employees were paid salaries of up to the month of February using the surplus funds.

The commission currently has 2,460 employees, including 600 scientists.

Besides, over 1,300 retirees are under its current payroll.

Commission chairman Md Quamrul Huda and science and technology ministry senior secretary Md Mokabbir Hossain could not be reached for comments.

The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission was established by the Presidential Order 15 of 1973 as a multidisciplinary research and development organisation.​

 

[Saif]

Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project: 18 officials, employees dismissed

They were relieved of their duties from 8 May. All of them, however, will receive the salary of three months as notice payment.

en.prothomalo.com

Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project: 18 officials, employees dismissed
Correspondent Pabna
Published: 11 May 2025, 22: 30

Photo shows Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant File photo

Eighteen officials and employees of the under-construction Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) project in Pabna’s Ishwardi upazila were dismissed from their jobs and banned from entering the project area.

These staff were employed at the Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL).

The separate letters signed by NPCBL managing director Md Zahedul Hassan were issued on dismissal and ban on Thursday, while the officials and employees concerned received the letters on Saturday.

Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project’s site in-charge Ruhul Kuddus confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo.

He said the issue was reported to the head of the project’s security agency, and declined to disclose further.

The dismissal letters stated that the NPCBL no longer requires their services. They were relieved of their duties from 8 May. All of them, however, will receive the salary of three months as notice payment.

The letter on the ban on entry to the project area said, “The 18 officials and employees are prohibited from entering the area of the under-construction Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project and the residential area Green City for security reasons.”

They officials, who were dismissed are NPCBL’s deputy chief superintendent Md Hasan Ali, senior assistant managers Shahidul Islam, Abu Rayhan, Rafiqul Hasan, Joynal Hossain, Naeem Al Sakib, Abu Sayeed, AKM Abdullah Al Amin, Shah Ikhtiar Alam and Ibrahim Khalilullah, assistant managers Abdullah Al Noman, Asif Khan, Mohammad Imamul Arefin and Md Ikram, Md Ruhul Amin, sub-assistant managers Ismail Hossain and Rubel Hossain, and technician Firoz Ahmed.

The sacked officials claimed all of 18 are competent for jobs and 12 of them graduated from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).

They further said all of them received various training in Russia for the nuclear power plant project. They were dismissed illegally because of protesting the arbitrary conduct of the company’s managing director. They demand restoration of their jobs or else they would seek legal action.

A dismissed engineer told Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity that any employee who raises demands is suppressed. Efforts were carried out to silence them and those who protested were selectively terminated. All of them were asked to leave the project’s residential area with their families within three days, putting them in severe problem.

When asked, NPCBL’s managing director Md Zahedul Hassan said that the decision on dismissal was made after investigating the matters thoroughly and following due process. These steps were taken for the sake of the company’s discipline and security.

Recently, NPCBL officers and employees had gone on protests for several days, pressing various demands, including the removal of managing director Zahedul Hassan. They held a human chain and press conference in Ishwardi town on 6 May 6 and organised a sit-in and protest at the project site on 7 May.​

 

[Saif]

Atomic Energy Commission should be separated from ministry: discussion

Speakers including activists, teachers and scientists said on Wednesday that the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission should be separated from the ministry of science and technology to avoid bureaucratic complexity and increase productivity and research...

www.newagebd.net

Atomic Energy Commission should be separated from ministry: discussion
Staff Correspondent 22 May, 2025, 00:48

Poet and author Farhad Mazhar addresses a discussion at the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission headquarters in Dhaka on Wednesday. | Press release

Speakers including activists, teachers and scientists said on Wednesday that the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission should be separated from the ministry of science and technology to avoid bureaucratic complexity and increase productivity and research.

They made the comment while speaking at a discussion titled Bangladeshe Paramanu Bigyan Gabeshanar Sambhabana, Sangkat O Uttaraner Upay.

The discussion was jointly organised by Bangladesh Sachetan Biggyani Samaj and BhavBoithoki at Dr Anwar Hossain Auditorium of the BAEC in the capital Dhaka.

Poet, writer and researcher Farhad Mazhar was present at the event as the key speaker while Dhaka University physics department professor Md Kamrul Hassan Mamun and Jahangirnagar University environmental sciences department professor Jamal Uddin spoke at the event.

Chief scientific officer of BAEC Sheikh Manjura Hoque presented her article on the topic while chief scientific officer ASM Saifullah delivered a welcome speech at the event.

Sheikh Manjura Hoque in her article addressed a seven-point crisis created by the ministry despite the BAEC being a corporate organisation.

She also placed their 11-point demand, including restoring autonomy of the commission.

Jamal Uddin said that although the BAEC was part of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission before the War of Independence, after forming of the BAEC, however, it had less productivity because the government had no interest in research while India and Pakistan improved a lot in atomic research.

‘As a nation we have become a broker because we prefer marketing to production and this is a political crisis,’ said Jamal Uddin who proposed that the BAEC should be separated from the ministry and accountable to the president.

Md Kamrul Hassan Mamun said that when a state did not have critical minds, its organisations fell apart.

‘A ministry cannot provide necessary support to research due to its bureaucratic complexity and power practice,’ Mamun said, adding that there was not any example of success of any organisation under any ministry in Bangladesh.

Farhad Mazhar said that the scientists of the BAEC could not create proper working space for them because of the lack of political consciousness.

‘We need to find the corruption of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and the government must ensure the security of the people who can be affected by the nuclear dust,’ Farhad Mazhar said, adding that he supports the 11-point demand of the scientists of the BAEC.​