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PABNA: A convoy carrying additional fresh nuclear fuel, or uranium, for the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Ishwardi, Pabna, has reached the project site under tight security.
The convoy, carrying the fuel in three lorries under Bangladesh Army security, entered the nuclear power plant premises via the Natore-Kushtia-Pabna highway at 12:21pm on Saturday (October 3).
Project Director Dr Zahedul Hasan and other officials received the convoy at the site. Russian nationals, workers and officials involved in the project also welcomed the convoy.
The convoy left Dhaka for Rooppur at around 7:15am on Saturday. Besides the Army, members of SRB, police and various intelligence agencies were responsible for security.
A special security cordon involving the Army and other law enforcement agencies was maintained along the highway as the uranium convoy travelled to Rooppur. Traffic on the Pabna-Natore-Kushtia highway was halted from around 11:45am to 12:15pm as part of the security measures.
Earlier, at around 11:30pm on Friday (October 2), a flight carrying nuclear fuel for the plant’s first unit landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Officials from the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority subsequently received the uranium consignment.
According to the plan, nine more flights are scheduled to deliver an additional 48 uranium assemblies for the first unit and 163 assemblies for the second unit between November and December.
The consignments will travel from Russia through Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India before reaching Bangladesh.