Uranium Shipment Heads to Rooppur Under Tight Security

A convoy carrying uranium fuel for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for the facility in Pabna on Saturday morning under tight security.

The convoy, comprising three lorries carrying fuel for the plant's first unit, began its journey to Rooppur at around 7:15am.

Army personnel are providing security for the convoy, alongside members of the State Security Bureau (SRB), police and various intelligence agencies.

The aircraft carrying the fuel for the plant's first unit landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 11:30pm on Friday. Officials from the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority subsequently took charge of the shipment.

A total of nine flights are expected to deliver additional nuclear fuel to Bangladesh in November and December. The shipments will include 48 additional uranium fuel assemblies for the first unit and 163 assemblies for the second unit.

The consignments are scheduled to travel from Russia through Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India before reaching Bangladesh.

The shipment was originally scheduled to arrive on September 24 but was delayed because of complications over the use of Pakistani airspace.

The first batch of nuclear fuel for Rooppur's first unit arrived in Bangladesh in 2023. The fuel was loaded into the reactor in May this year.