Rooppur nuclear plant nears completion, reshaping local economy and energy outlook

Bangladesh’s Rooppur nuclear power complex, a 2.4-gigawatt venture with Russian state firm Rosatom, is slated to commission its first reactor by the end of this year and bring the second online within the next twelve months. The plant, located on the Padma River about 150 kilometres west of Dhaka, has transformed the formerly sleepy village of Rooppur, attracting Russian technicians and spawning new shops and eateries.

Md Zahedul Hasan, managing director of the state-run Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh, says the project fulfills a long-standing national ambition. While many locals, such as former garment worker Md Emon Khan, welcome the jobs and anticipate uninterrupted power, others like 80-year-old Md Yunus Ali voice worries about safety after a recent compressor test caused a loud bang. Plant officials stress that strict safety protocols and lessons from past nuclear incidents have been incorporated.