Staff Reporter :
The Russian government has reaffirmed its support for Bangladesh’s interim government and pledged the successful completion of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project.
This assurance was given by Russian Ambassador Alexander Mantitsky during a meeting with Foreign Secretary Mohammad Jashim Uddin at the Foreign Ministry in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Ambassador Mantitsky highlighted Russia’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the timely completion of the Rooppur project, underscoring its significance as a key collaborative effort between the two nations.
In a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was revealed that the ambassador also congratulated the foreign secretary on his recent appointment and reaffirmed Russia’s continued support for Bangladesh’s interim government.
The discussions between the two officials covered a wide range of topics, including energy and food security, trade and investment opportunities, cooperation in multilateral forums, and bilateral collaboration in the fields of information and communication technology (ICT), education, and culture.
Both sides expressed satisfaction with the current state of bilateral relations between Dhaka and Moscow, with a commitment to further strengthen ties in the coming years. The foreign secretary expressed his gratitude for Russia’s ongoing support, particularly in relation to the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project, and received reassurances from Ambassador Mantitsky of continued assistance.
Additionally, the foreign secretary thanked the Russian government for increasing the number of scholarships available to Bangladeshi students pursuing higher education in Russia, which has further enhanced educational ties between the two countries.
Earlier, on 15th August, Ambassador Mantitsky, in a meeting with Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, acknowledged that the ongoing political situation in Bangladesh could cause a slight delay in the construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
Following the overthrow of the autocratic Sheikh Hasina government on 5th August, through a student-led mass uprising, Hasina fled to India, where she remains in exile.
“I understand that due to the current situation, there might be a minor delay in the construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, but it will not be a long one,” the ambassador said during that meeting.
The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, located in the Pabna district, is one of the flagship projects initiated by the former Hasina government. With Russian assistance, the plant is expected to generate 2,400MW of electricity at a total cost of $12.65 billion, of which $11.38 billion is being provided by Russia as soft loans.
According to the original project timeline, unit-1 was scheduled to be operational by 23rd December 2022, and unit-2 by 8th October 2023, with the entire project slated for completion by 31st December 2025. However, the project has faced delays due to various global crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war.
The construction of unit-1 officially began on 30th November 2017, followed by unit-2 on 14th July 2018. In October 2023, the first Russian shipment of uranium reached the plant site, situated on the banks of the Padma River in Ishwardi, making Bangladesh the 33rd country in the world to achieve nuclear energy production status.
The plant is being constructed by Russia’s state-owned company Rosatom, utilising two VVER-1200 reactors, marking a major milestone in Bangladesh’s journey towards energy security.