[🇧🇩] Civilian/Military Nuclear Program in Bangladesh

[Saif]

Bangladesh's transition to nuclear energy

Bangladesh is well set to transition to the operational phase of the nuclear power plant at Rooppur with the start of loading of fuel into the core reactor of unit-1 on Tuesday. However, fuel loading does not mean generation of power would begin right away. The loading will continue for about 45 da

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Bangladesh's transition to nuclear energy

FE

Published :
Apr 30, 2026 00:24
Updated :
Apr 30, 2026 00:24

Bangladesh is well set to transition to the operational phase of the nuclear power plant at Rooppur with the start of loading of fuel into the core reactor of unit-1 on Tuesday. However, fuel loading does not mean generation of power would begin right away. The loading will continue for about 45 days and then the core of the reactor would be warmed up for about three months before starting generation of power on a trial basis. Unit-1 of the n-power plant was scheduled for completion in 2022 but several unavoidable factors including the Covid-19 pandemic were responsible for the long delay. A sensitive and highly advanced scientific and technological process is involved across the construction to operation phases of a nuclear power plant. Although the trial generation of power can immediately be transmitted to the special power grid constructed for the purpose, it will take between six months to a year for commissioning the unit-1 for its capacity generation of power.

Clearly, the wait is not over yet but nevertheless the uranium loading is a milestone in the country's history of harnessing nuclear energy. Initially, 300 megawatts (MWs) of power will be generated and if things go well, production will be increased 10-15 per cent until the unit-1 runs full capacity at 1,200 MW. The unit-2 is still under construction and once that also comes into operation, this relatively more eco-friendly power plant will be able to add 2,400 MW to the national grid. So the output is expected to help Bangladesh reduce its dependence on fossil fuels to some extent. When the plant becomes fully operational, it will generate 10 per cent of the total installed capacity of all power plants. It will be quite a big step towards generating relatively cleaner power.

However, the status of n-plants as a source of clean energy is debatable because mostly for the disposal of spent fuel. The waste management is a crucial issue and reportedly Russia will take back the uranium waste. Whether the agreement in this respect is clear or not is yet to be ascertained. Built in compliance with the post-Fukushima safety standards, the Rooppur power plant has, according to official claims, some advanced feature to avoid accidents like that of Chernobyl. Yet safety and security concerns should be at the top of the priority list.

Finally, as a source of energy, power plants including n-plants are an extension of economic development goal of a country. Bangladesh has an installed capacity of 28,919 MW from 136 power plants, 95 per cent of which are fossil fuel-based. But the power output is more on paper than a reality. Right now, those power plants cannot meet the current demand of nearly 18,000 MW due to crisis of fuels. This is why renewable sources of power generation are a priority option. If the Rooppur N-plant proves a success, the country may opt for one or more such plants. But that would face a tricky situation simply because of the US-Bangladesh reciprocal trade agreement signed on February 9 this year. Bangladesh cannot receive uranium from a country blacklisted by the US. Here the hint is clear: Russia and China are those countries. Bangladesh has surrendered too much to retain the concessionary RMG deals. Even the country's energy options have been limited by that agreement.​

 

[Saif]

Corruption at Rooppur: Pillows were bought for nearly Tk 90,000

More shocking information has emerged regarding the purchase of pillows for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant construction project. In the project, some pillows were purchased for as much as nearly Tk 90,000 each.

en.prothomalo.com

Corruption at Rooppur: Pillows were bought for nearly Tk 90,000

Mohammed Mostafa

This pillow was bought at Tk 90,000Collected

More shocking information has emerged regarding the purchase of pillows for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant construction project. In the project, some pillows were purchased for as much as nearly Tk 90,000 each. The lowest-priced pillows, meanwhile, were bought for Tk 6,957 apiece. The information was obtained from sources at the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

According to the source, a total of 4,702 pillows were purchased for the project. Among them, 60 pillows were bought at the highest price of Tk 89,900 each. Another 72 pillows were purchased at Tk 29,847 apiece. A total of 660 pillows were bought for Tk 20,000 each, while 120 pillows were purchased at slightly over Tk 10,000 each.

After investigating irregularities at Rooppur, the CAG office said nearly Tk 2.95 billion was looted through various irregularities in the construction of 20 buildings under the project. Of this, the actual value of the 4,702 pillows was Tk 14.8 million, but they were purchased for nearly Tk 54.1 million. The government suffered a financial loss of Tk 39.2 million due to the inflated pillow prices.

The CAG report recommended administrative action against those involved in the embezzlement and said the excess money paid must be recovered.

The issue of irregularities and corruption in the procurement of various items for the “Green City” residential complex under the Rooppur nuclear power project in 2019 has once again come under discussion. Among the 38 reports from various government departments and agencies submitted to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman last Wednesday was the report on the much-discussed Rooppur “pillow scandal.”

Reports of procurement irregularities at Rooppur first surfaced in the media in 2019. At the time, it was reported that each pillow had been purchased for Tk 5,957. The news sparked widespread discussion and became popularly known as the “pillow scandal.”

However, the CAG investigation has now found that some pillows were actually purchased at even higher prices. Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Saleh Shibly told journalists yesterday, “After hearing the unbelievable price of each pillow in the report, the Prime Minister told the CAG that one of these expensive pillows should be preserved in a museum.”

The CAG investigation report shows that project-related officials had proposed a cost of Tk 9,307 per pillow, including the pillow itself, the cover, loading and unloading, and transportation to different floors. The actual market value and associated cost, however, were Tk 3,154. In other words, an excess of Tk 6,153 was added per pillow. Later, even larger irregularities took place in the procurement of these pillows.

The investigation found that the pillows were purchased at inflated prices through collusion aimed at benefiting contractors. The report said that when auditors sought explanations on these issues, the engineers concerned failed to provide any response. Two firms — Sajin Construction Limited and Majid Sons Construction Limited— allegedly pocketed nearly Tk 40 million by purchasing pillows and other furniture items at inflated prices.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh, said, “It had been said before that massive looting took place in the Rooppur project. Now that specific information is emerging, exemplary punishment must be ensured for the contractors, officials and others who engaged in corruption through collusion. Jail terms and fines alone will not be enough; recovery of the embezzled money from them must also be ensured.”​

 

[Saif]

Rethinking Rooppur in the age of solar energy

Last week, uranium fuel loading began at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Pabna, a moment Bangladesh’s scientists and engineers have awaited since plan to build a nuclear power plant was first conceived in 1961.

www.thedailystar.net

Rethinking Rooppur in the age of solar energy

Ahad Chowdhury

Despite being considerably more affordable than nuclear energy, Bangladesh’s solar energy sector continues to lag behind due to policy failures. FILE PHOTO: STAR

Last week, uranium fuel loading began at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Pabna, a moment Bangladesh’s scientists and engineers have awaited since plan to build a nuclear power plant was first conceived in 1961. According to Prothom Alo, this milestone makes Bangladesh the 33rd country in the world to operate nuclear power and the third in South Asia after India and Pakistan. The achievement is real and deserves acknowledgment. Yet as the nation celebrates entry into this exclusive club, a harder question demands an answer: how did Bangladesh arrive at a point where a $12.65 billion debt-financed reactor became the primary answer to its energy crisis, when solar energy could be significantly more affordable?

The Rooppur plant, built by Russia’s Rosatom, will eventually generate 2,400 megawatts across two units and is expected to meet around 10 percent of Bangladesh’s electricity demand. The Daily Star reports that initial grid supply of around 300 MW is anticipated by late July or early August this year, with full capacity reached gradually over the next two years. Considering Bangladesh’s chronic electricity deficit and high annual demand growth, this energy development is truly significant.

But the financial architecture of Rooppur should propel every Bangladeshi to pause and think for a moment. Russia extended $11.38 billion in export credit for the Rooppur project. As the taka depreciates against the dollar, Prothom Alo reports that actual expenditures have risen by Tk 260 billion above contractual amounts, with total outlays now approaching Tk 1.39 trillion. Debt service on a foreign-currency obligation of this scale, especially for a country already burdened with LNG import costs and coal procurement payments, is energy bondage with a long amortisation schedule.

Compounding the fiscal concern, Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission has initiated a formal investigation into allegations of financial irregularities in Rooppur’s procurement process. The full scope of those allegations remains under active investigation, and the public deserves a transparent accounting before the debt repayments that will burden the national budget for the next two decades are simply accepted as the cost of doing business.

These grievances would have been more tolerable had Bangladesh simultaneously invested in domestic renewable energy. Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) reports that Bangladesh installed only 245 MW of rooftop solar capacity in the entire 17-year period from June 2008 to June 2025. For a tropical nation receiving 4-5 kilowatt-hours of solar irradiance per square metre daily, this figure is indefensible. The Financial Express reports that within Dhaka alone, approximately 375 MW of installed rooftop solar sits almost entirely idle because no functioning net metering system exists and no government plan integrates this capacity into the distribution grid. Bangladesh mandated solar panels on new buildings in 2012 and then never built the regulatory infrastructure to use the power those panels generate.

The argument that solar is unreliable or insufficient does not survive scrutiny. Germany, at 51 degrees north latitude, receives a fraction of Bangladesh’s sunshine but has an impressive solar capacity. Vietnam deployed more than 20 gigawatts in five years through decisive feed-in tariff policy. Morocco now exports solar electricity to Europe. However, despite strong sunlight, Bangladesh has produced only a bit over 1 GW of solar power after 20 years of policy efforts.

The reason is not entirely technical but political too. Importing LNG generates lucrative procurement contracts. Importing nuclear technology and fuel generates commissions accessible to politically connected intermediaries. Domestic solar, by contrast, is decentralised, transparent, and difficult to extract rent from. The sun does not require a middleman. This structural misalignment between the public interest and the interests of energy procurement syndicates has cost Bangladesh dearly—in foreign exchange, debt accumulation, and in the foregone clean energy that could have powered millions of homes at zero recurring fuel cost.

A $5 billion investment in distributed rooftop solar and utility-scale ground arrays, less than half the Rooppur debt, could have delivered 5,000 to 8,000 MW of domestic capacity with no fuel import cost, no foreign-currency loan, and no geopolitical dependency. According to IEEFA, Bangladesh now needs to deploy approximately 760 MW of new renewable energy annually between 2026 and 2030 just to achieve its modest goal of 20 percent renewables by that date. The FY2025-26 national budget allocates no specific incentives to the renewable energy sector. The gap between stated targets and budgetary commitment is itself an indictment.

Rooppur will generate electricity we need. But Bangladesh must understand that a single $12.65 billion nuclear plant—financed by a geopolitical creditor, repayable in foreign currency over 20 years, vulnerable to sanction disruption—is not an energy strategy. It is a monument to the failure to develop what was free, domestic, and abundant.

Dr Ahad Chowdhury is a geologist, currently teaching at Jefferson Community and Technical College in Louisville, Kentucky.​

 

[Saif]

Rooppur project: Tk 30,000 dressing table bought at Tk 550,000

A dressing table that has a market value of Tk 30,500 was shown in government project documents as being purchased for as much as Tk 550,000 — nearly 18 times higher than its actual price. The unusually high pricing has emerged in the construction project of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant...

en.prothomalo.com

Rooppur project: Tk 30,000 dressing table bought at Tk 550,000

Mohammed Mostafa

Dhaka
Published: 09 May 2026, 09: 00

A dressing table that has a market value of Tk 30,500 was shown in government project documents as being purchased for as much as Tk 550,000 — nearly 18 times higher than its actual price.

The unusually high pricing has emerged in the construction project of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP), following earlier controversies such as the widely discussed “pillow scandal”.

According to an investigation by the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), significant irregularities were found in furniture procurement for the project’s residential complex, known as “Green City”.

The probe revealed that Tk 33.3 million was allegedly spent as excess cost in the purchase of dressing tables alone.

Documents show that a total of 1,342 dressing tables were purchased for the project. Among them, 21 units were bought at Tk 550,000 each, 15 units at Tk 147,000 each, and 294 units at Tk 55,000 each. Most of the remaining tables were also priced above Tk 40,000 each.

Investigators said such wide variation in pricing for identical items within the same project is highly unusual and suggests a departure from standard procurement procedures.

Sources involved in the investigation said the procurement process did not follow proper rules and regulations.

The irregularities in the Green City residential component of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project — implemented during the previous Awami League government — have come under renewed scrutiny.

The issue was included in one of 38 reports submitted to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday by various government departments and agencies.

Tk 40 million asset worth Tk 70 million billed

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has found that furniture procurement under the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project involved significant overbilling, with dressing tables alone showing major price inflation.

According to the investigation report, a total of 1,342 dressing tables had an actual market value of Tk 40.9 million. However, the expenditure shown in official records stands at Tk 74.3 million — an excess of Tk 33.3 million.

The report also highlights that Tk 33,500 per unit was initially proposed for dressing tables, dressing seats, and associated handling and delivery costs. While the actual market price and related expenses were estimated at Tk 30,500 per unit, the figure was already inflated in the initial estimate. During procurement, however, prices were further escalated, in some cases reaching as high as Tk 550,000 per unit.

Investigators concluded that dressing tables were purchased at prices up to 18 times higher than market rates, to benefit contractors. The audit report notes that during the verification process, concerned engineers were asked to justify the discrepancies but failed to provide any explanation.

Sources say the procurement took place between 2016 and 2020, when the project was under the directorship of M Shaukat Akbar. Allegations of irregularities in procurement first surfaced in media reports in 2019, covering purchases of pillows, dressing tables, bed sheets and other furniture items.

At the time, the “pillow scandal” drew widespread public criticism, particularly over the unusually high costs of procurement and even the expense of transporting items within project buildings.

The CAG findings further reveal that in some cases, a single pillow was reportedly billed at as much as Tk 89,900.

The investigation also estimates that nearly Tk 2.95 billion may have been embezzled through irregularities in the construction of 20 residential buildings under the project.

The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant procurement controversy has long been cited as a high-profile example of alleged corruption in large-scale infrastructure projects in Bangladesh.

No punitive action taken despite allegations

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) investigation report has named two companies — Sazin Construction Limited and Majid Sons Construction Limited — in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project.

According to the report, the two firms allegedly embezzled around Tk 33.3 million by charging excessive prices in the procurement of dressing tables.

Despite repeated discussions and investigations into allegations of irregularities and corruption in the Rooppur project over time, no significant disciplinary action has yet been taken against the officials involved.

So far, only one action has been reported: in April this year, Sub-Assistant Engineer Suman Kumar Nandi, who was associated with the project, was forced into early retirement.

Commenting on the matter, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman told Prothom Alo that since specific irregularities in the Rooppur project have already been identified, accountability must be ensured.

Those involved in facilitating corruption and irregularities should be brought under the legal process and face proper trial, he said.​

 

[Saif]

The Financial Express | First Financial Daily of Bangladesh

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Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Unit-1 completes fuel loading

BSS

Published :
May 13, 2026 00:15
Updated :
May 13, 2026 00:15

Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) authorities on Tuesday completed fuel loading at its first unit.

“Fresh nuclear fuel has been successfully loaded into the reactor core of the RNPP Unit-1, marking a major milestone toward the plant’s commissioning and power generation,” an official release said.

The release said the fuel loading process began on April 28 and involved the sequential insertion of 163 fuel assemblies into the reactor core.

It said the operation is considered one of the most critical stages before the unit begins generating electricity.

Alexey Deriy, vice president of Atomstroyexport, said the work was carried out in full compliance with the initial core loading programme, operational regulations and international nuclear safety standards.

“The next stage includes installation of the upper reactor unit and integration of all required in-core instrumentation systems,” he said. “Hundreds of additional tests will then be conducted to ensure the reliable and safe operation of all process systems.”

According to him, the reactor will soon be brought to its minimum controllable power level, followed by a gradual increase in capacity. These procedures will pave the way for power startup and trial commercial operation of the Unit-1.

The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Bangladesh’s first nuclear power facility, is being built with Russian technical and financial assistance. The project includes two VVER-1200 reactors with a combined capacity of 2,400 MW. The Generation III+ reactor design complies with international safety standards.

The general designer and contractor of the project is the Engineering Division of Rosatom.​

 

[Saif]

The Financial Express | First Financial Daily of Bangladesh

Get latest stock share market news, financial news, economy news, politics news, breaking news, Bangladesh economy news at The Financial Express.

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RNPP power transmission project cost likely to go down by Tk 23.3b

REZAUL KARIM

Published :
May 17, 2026 08:45
Updated :
May 17, 2026 08:45

The cost of the project to build transmission infrastructure for supplying electricity from the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) has been reduced by Tk 23.30 billion under a revised proposal after some expensive components were removed from the original design, officials said.

The project, titled "Development of Transmission Infrastructure for Power Evacuation of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant", will now cost Tk 86.52 billion, down from the original estimate of Tk 109.82 billion.

At the same time, the implementation deadline for the project has been extended until June 2026.

The Planning Commission has recommended approval of the first revised proposal at a meeting chaired by Dr Nurun Nahar Chowdhury, member (secretary) of the Industry and Energy Division of the Planning Commission.

According to officials, the revised cost represents a 21.22 per cent reduction from the original estimate, resulting in significant savings for the government.

The project is being implemented by Power Grid Bangladesh PLC.

Under the revised financing plan, Tk 60 billion will come from the Indian line of credit (LOC), Tk 14.57 billion from the government of Bangladesh and Tk 11.71 billion from PGCB's own funds.

Officials said the sharp reduction in project cost was mainly achieved by dropping several costly components from the original project design.

One of the major changes was the exclusion of a planned 20-kilometre river-crossing transmission line over the Padma and Jamuna rivers after its estimated cost became exceptionally high during the bidding process.

The component will now be implemented separately under a domestic project.

In addition, delays in land acquisition and GIS substation construction led to the removal of the 230kV Dhamrai substation expansion from the Indian LOC funding package.

Despite the reduction in overall project cost, officials said the revised budget had to absorb higher foreign exchange costs during implementation.

The original project proposal in 2018 was prepared based on an exchange rate of Tk 80.83 per US dollar, while the revised budget considered an average exchange rate of Tk 103.79 per dollar.

Officials noted that although the project cost in dollar terms declined due to the removal of several components, the depreciation of the local currency offset part of the savings.

The extension of the project deadline will allow Power Grid Bangladesh PLC to complete the remaining high-voltage transmission lines, including the 150km Rooppur-Dhaka line and the 155km Rooppur-Gopalganj line, ensuring smooth transmission of nuclear power to the national grid.​

 

[KolkataFF]

https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/327091/rooppur-nuclear-power-plant-at-a-glance

Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant at a glance​

​

• Fresh batch of uranium to reach Thursday​
• Bangladesh now 33rd nuclear power country​

​

An aerial view of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is pictured on Wednesday, October 4, 2023. Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune
Mahfuz Sadi
Publish : 05 Oct 2023, 09:00 AMUpdate : 05 Oct 2023, 12:33 PM

The Awami League, in its 2008 electoral manifesto, committed to establishing the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Ishwardi, Pabna.

Honouring this commitment after taking office, the party fulfilled its promise, marking Bangladesh's first step in nuclear power generation.

The first unit of the power plant will officially receive a fresh batch of uranium from the Russian contractor, Rosatom, at a formal Graduation Ceremony on Thursday.

Both Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Russian President Vladimir Putin will virtually attend the handover ceremony.

Interestingly, the country’s first nuclear power plant construction was first initiated in 1961 by the then-Pakistan government. However, the project faced various challenges and difficulties over the years and could not be completed.

​

This image shows a general view of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant on Wednesday, October 4, 2023. Photo: Mahmud

After enduring 62 years of ups and downs and witnessing significant historical changes, the project is finally nearing completion.

Through this historic commissioning on Thursday, Bangladesh is going to step into the era of uranium fuel, marking a new chapter in its history.
​

Origins of the power plant: Before Liberation War​

In 1961, during the then-Pakistan government's tenure, the initial initiative to build a nuclear power plant was taken.

Between 1962 and 1968, the Rooppur area in Ishwardi, Pabna, near the Padma River in former East Pakistan, was chosen as the site for the country's first nuclear power plant.

Several reviews were conducted at the time to verify the feasibility of the project.

For the nuclear power plant project, 260 acres of land were acquired, and an additional 32 acres were taken for residential purposes.

Partial development works, including office buildings, rest houses, an electrical substation, and some residential units, were completed.

However, in 1969-1970, the then-Pakistan government decided to cancel the implementation of this 200MW power production project.
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After Liberation War​

After Bangladesh gained independence in 1971 following the Liberation War, the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, retook the initiative to construct the 200-megawatt nuclear power plant.

From 1977 to 1986, MS Sofratom conducted a feasibility study and found the Rooppur site suitable for constructing a nuclear power plant.

The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved a 125MW nuclear power plant project. However, due to some constraints and limitations, that plan could not be implemented.
KolkataFF
In 1987-1988, two companies from Germany and Switzerland conducted a second feasibility study and justified that the Rooppur site was technically, economically and financially feasible for a 300-500MW nuclear power plant.

Between 1997 and 2000, the then Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) Chairman Dr MA Wazed Miah took a fresh initiative to construct a nuclear power plant with a capacity of 600MW.

Bangladesh Nuclear Power Action Plan was approved by the government in 2000.
​

2008-2012: From Awami League’s manifesto to atomic energy act​

In the Awami League's 2008 election manifesto, they pledged to build the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Ishwardi, Pabna.

Once in power, the party started Bangladesh's first nuclear power project.

Under a development program titled as “Accomplishment of Essential Activities for the Implementation of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project”, steps were taken to perform the primary preparatory works and development of nuclear infrastructures.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on “Cooperation in Using Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Purpose” was signed on May 13, 2009, between BAEC and Russia's state-owned atomic company Rosatom.

A framework agreement on “Cooperation in Using Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Purpose” was signed between Bangladesh and the Russian Federation on May 21, 2010.

To ensure the smooth execution of the project, under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a national committee, a technical committee led by the science and technology minister, and a working group headed by the secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology were formed, along with eight sub-working groups.

The decision to build the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant was approved in the parliament on November 10, 2010.

In December 2010, the former director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano, visited Bangladesh and committed full support from the IAEA for the Rooppur project.

An intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between the Bangladesh government and the Russian Federation on cooperation concerning the construction of the Rooppur NPP was signed on November 2, 2011.

From November 9-15, 2011, an IAEA Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission was conducted to evaluate the overall status of Bangladesh's nuclear infrastructure.

The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Act, 2012 was passed in the parliament on June 19, 2012.
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RNPP's first phase construction inaugurated​

On January 15, 2013, during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to Russia, a state export credit agreement was signed for the preparatory work of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

Based on the signed intergovernmental agreement (IGA) and the state export credit agreement, the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant establishment (first phase) project was adopted.

On October 2, 2013, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurated the first phase of the construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
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Formation of NPP act, NPCBL ​

On September 16, 2015, the Nuclear Power Plant Act 2015, which contains provisions for the establishment and management of an operating organization for the nuclear power plant, was issued.

On August 18, the Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL) was formed for the establishment and operation of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and other nuclear power plants.

Another agreement was signed on December 25 for the execution of the main phase of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project.

From May 10-14, 2016, a follow-up mission was conducted to review the progress in implementing the IAEA's recommendations on establishing the necessary nuclear infrastructure for the construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

On June 21, 2016, the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority granted a site licence for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
KolkataFF
A meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) between Russia and Bangladesh concerning the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project was held in Dhaka on June 22, 2016.

This meeting made key decisions regarding the supply, management, operation and maintenance of fuel for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

Bangladesh and Russian governments signed the intergovernmental credit agreement for the construction of the Rooppur NPP on July 26, 2016.

An agreement between the Russian Federation and Bangladesh on “Cooperation Concerning Return of Spent Nuclear Fuel from Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to Russian Federation” was signed on March 15, 2017.

An intergovernmental agreement between the Bangladesh government and the Indian government on “Cooperation in the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy” and an inter-agency Agreement between the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP), India’s Department of Atomic Energy and Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission on “Cooperation Regarding Nuclear Power Plant Projects in Bangladesh” was signed on April 8, 2017.
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Satisfaction over the plant construction​

On July 3, 2017, Yukiya Amano visited the construction site of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

At that time, he expressed satisfaction that the plant followed all international standards.

An agreement between the Bangladesh government and the Russian Federation on “Cooperation Concerning Return of Spent Nuclear Fuel from Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to Russian Federation” was signed on August 30, 2017.

The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Control Authority (BAERA) issued the design and construction licence for Rooppur NPP Unit-1 in favour of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission on November 4, 2017.

On 30 November 2017, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the concrete pouring of the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
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Nuclear reactor pressure vessels inaugurated​

On October 10, 2021, and October 18, 2022, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the work to install the nuclear reactor pressure vessels for the first and second units of the power plant.

She participated virtually from Ganabhaban in both events. Rosatom Director General Aleksey Likhachev was present at the event under the chairmanship of Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman in Rooppur.
​

Nuclear Fuel Batch Celebration ​

The first batch of fresh uranium, the nuclear fuel of the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, was taken from Dhaka to the project site on September 29, 2023.

Director General of the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev, will hand over the fuel officially to the project authority in the Rooppur project.

Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman will preside over the function while Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will join the ceremony through video conference.

Project director Dr Mohammad Shawkat Akbar and other sources reported that foreign nationals working on the project, including Russians, reside in the Green City Housing project and various events have been organized for them which will continue until October 6.

During a visit to the Green City Housing project on Tuesday, Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman said that the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is Bangladesh's greatest achievement since its independence.

With this, Bangladesh has become the 33rd nuclear power country and has gained the capability to work with this technology, he added.
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Anticipated Power Production in 2024 and 2025​

The construction of the two units of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, spread over 1,062 acres of land, is nearly in its final stages. Officials have indicated that it will be possible to commence operations as scheduled.

In March 2024, the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is set to begin producing 1,200MW of electricity.

By mid-2025, the second unit is also expected to start producing a similar amount of power.

The electricity produced by this project will be added to the national grid.

Those involved hope that this will significantly contribute to meeting the country's power deficit.​

I think the bigger question is whether a country would benefit more from investing in energy, education, and industry before considering something as costly as a nuclear program.