Terming nuclear power plant as a relatively environment friendly source of electricity,Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) in a statement in December 25 appreciated the Bangladesh government’s initiative of establishing Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) with the help of Russia.TIB however expressed its concern about the proper implementation of this highly sensitive and extremely expensively project for whcih Bangladesh completely has to depend on one party which is Russia.
In the statement, Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director of TIB said, the TIB has asked for complete transparency in different stages of implementation of the Rooppur nuclear power plant.
It also asked the government to release detailed information about the project for the sake of public interest.
TIB Executive Director said in the statement, “We are specially concerned that the nuclear reactors of Russia are even considered by the Russian experts as unsafe and unreliable”.
“Besides, the implementing agency of Rooppur NPP, Atomostroyexport which is jointly owned by two Russian state owned organizations Rosatom abd Gazprombank is not considered as ‘reliable’ in taking appreciate responsibilities in case of any accident”.
Under the circumstances, Iftekharuzzaman said, we want the government to release some of the information about the plant for the sake of public interest.
The information includes-whether the general contract which was signed recently has any provision to make Atomostroyexport compelled to take all liabilities in case of any hazards to environment or people’s life, the detailed financial details of this massively expensive project, information about the actual benefits of Bangladesh against the interest of Atomostroyexpor and whether the contract could have achieved competitive advantage for Bangladesh.
Referring the media report published in September this year, Dr Iftekharuzzaman also said that those reports said that the project cost would be $4 billion.
“But within three months, the cost has almost increased by three times. We demand to know why because at the end of the day, the people of Bangladesh will have to bear the burden of loan provided by Russia”.
