Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant

File photo/Collected

Nuclear fuel transfer at Rooppur today: 62-year wait finally over

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to attend it virtually. According to an official source, the two leaders are scheduled to attend the nuclear fuel certificate and model handover ceremony through a virtual platform.

With this the 62-year-wait is finally going to end. The beginning of nuclear status in Bangladesh was in 1961. At that time, the Pakistan government took the initiative to build a nuclear power plant on the banks of the Padma river at Rooppur in Ishwardi, Pabna. Later it was closed due to various restrictions. After the independence of the country, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took the initiative to implement the project. Gradually, the work on the project began to progress, but it stalled again in the late 1970s. This is how after many ups and downs the wait of six decades is finally coming to an end. Bangladesh is entering the era of uranium fuel through the transfer of 'fresh nuclear fuel' to Russia.

The Rooppur nuclear power plant construction project has repeatedly faced hurdles in various political eras of the country. Two decades after Bangabandhu's assassination, Awami League came to power in 1996 and again took the Nuclear Action Plan to implement the project. After an era of this, in 2008, the implementation of the new project started. After that, the work of the project reached its final stage in about 15 years during the three consecutive terms of the current government. Those concerned think that the project will play an important role in meeting the electricity demand in the country by using nuclear energy.

It is known that during the Pakistan era, in 1961, the initiative to build the first nuclear power plant was taken in the then East Pakistan. The next year in 1962, the site for the construction of this power plant was determined at Rooppur, Ishwardi Thana, Pabna District, Bangladesh. After checking the feasibility through various surveys, the government acquired 292 acres of land. Out of this, 260 acres were earmarked for the nuclear power plant project and 32 acres for residential areas. In seven years, land development, construction of offices, rest houses, electrical sub-stations and some residential units were partially completed, but the decision to implement the project was canceled in 1969 by the then government of Pakistan.

After independence, Bangabandhu's government again came forward to implement this project in 1972. However, after the assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975, it was closed again.