Rooppur power in sight, NPCBL rejects allegations

Bangladesh’s first and most expensive Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) has entered the final stage before electricity generation.

The 16-megapascal (MPa) pressure test of Unit-1’s Pressurised Operated Relief Valve (PORV/POSV) was successfully completed during commissioning. Meanwhile, the first shipment of nuclear fuel for Unit-2 arrived in Bangladesh on Saturday.

At this crucial stage, allegations concerning the project’s cost, safety, administration and officials have resurfaced. Questions have also been raised about Dr Md Zahedul Hassan, Managing Director of Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL).

Contacted on Monday, Dr Hassan said constructive criticism based on accurate information was welcome, but presenting institutional decisions as personal decisions could create confusion.

Regarding allegations of receiving salaries from multiple posts, he said he has served as NPCBL’s full-time Managing Director since June 2025 and receives only the salary and benefits fixed for the position. Major decisions, he said, are taken through the board, committees and authorised authorities.

On manpower, Dr Hassan said NPCBL has recruited 1,922 employees, including 997 who received specialised training. Of them, 27 later left-about 2.7 percent. He said departures of around 100 employees from grades 16-19 should not be described as losses of specialised nuclear personnel.

Regarding higher-level appointments, he said positions such as shop manager and deputy shop manager are filled through authorised board committees, not by the Managing Director alone.

He also clarified that BAEC is the owner of the Rooppur project while NPCBL is the operating organisation. Therefore, commissioning decisions or delays should not be portrayed as personal decisions of the NPCBL chief.

On apartments rented for officials in Russia, Dr Hassan said the accommodation was arranged through an institutional decision chaired by the then Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology, while rent payments were handled by contractor JSC Atomstroyexport. Forty-one officials stayed there at different times under government orders.

Rejecting allegations of Tk 7.7 million embezzlement, he said the matter was reviewed by a six-member internal audit team headed by a Joint Secretary, with two Bangladesh Embassy officials in Russia also participating.
Dr Hassan urged journalists to verify government orders, board decisions, audit reports and institutional statements before publishing reports on Rooppur.