US nuclear deal will not affect Rooppur: Zahed

The new Bangladesh-US agreement on the peaceful use of nuclear energy will not have any negative impact on the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Prime Minister’s Adviser for Information and Broadcasting Dr Zahed Ur Rahman said.

Responding to reporters at a press briefing on the government’s activities at the Secretariat on Tuesday (September 29), Zahed said he did not expect the agreement with the United States to affect the Russian-backed Rooppur project.

“I don’t think it will,” he said when asked whether the new nuclear cooperation agreement could have any impact on Rooppur.

Bangladesh and the United States signed a strategic civil nuclear cooperation agreement on September 25 covering cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, including nuclear safety, security, safeguards and non-proliferation.

Zahed said Bangladesh had only recently entered the nuclear power era and should keep its options open as it plans for its future energy needs. He said the possibility of developing more nuclear power plants should not be ruled out.

He noted that nuclear power cooperation goes beyond constructing plants and includes fuel supplies, training engineers and other technical personnel, as well as related technological requirements. Bangladesh, he said, could pursue agreements and cooperation with different countries depending on its needs.

“Bangladesh has maintained communication and cooperation with different countries from the beginning,” he said, adding that Dhaka would continue engaging with countries including China, India, Russia and Türkiye in line with national interests.

Asked about the reported delay in a Russian uranium shipment for Rooppur’s second unit after an airspace clearance problem involving Pakistan, Zahed said he had no specific information on the issue. He said, however, that he understood the uranium would arrive and that there would be no delay in its delivery.

Rosatom has separately said fuel shipments for Rooppur’s second unit are scheduled to begin arriving in Bangladesh in October and continue through December.