Uranium shipment reaches Rooppur under tight security

A special consignment of uranium for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant reached the facility in Pabna on Saturday afternoon under tight security.

Three trucks carrying the nuclear fuel reached the plant at around 12:30PM, Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Ltd (NPCBL) Managing Director Dr Zayedul Hasan confirmed.

Security measures were significantly tightened ahead of the consignment’s arrival in Pabna, with police and other law enforcement agencies deployed along the route. Other vehicles and pedestrians were diverted from the main roads and designated route used by the convoy, while intelligence agencies maintained close surveillance.

The convoy had left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at around 7:15AM, escorted by the Bangladesh Army. It comprised three fuel trucks and another vehicle carrying additional equipment. Members of a Russian expert team travelling with the consignment were also part of the convoy.

The shipment was transported under a joint security arrangement led by the Army, with police, Special Security Force (SSF), a dog squad and Armed Police Battalion (APBn) personnel involved in the operation.

Traffic on sections of the route was temporarily halted as the convoy passed, causing severe congestion at several points.

At around 9:30AM, the convoy stopped at an inter-district truck rest area in Panchlia on the western approach road to the Jamuna Bridge. After a break of around 45 minutes, it resumed its journey towards Rooppur.

The uranium consignment arrived in Dhaka late Friday night, ending uncertainty surrounding its delivery to Bangladesh. The shipment was received by the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA).

The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is being built with Russian assistance and is expected to have two units with a combined generation capacity of 2,400 megawatts.