Online Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday Russia has promised to take back the spent fuel of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) to their country. “We have signed an agreement with the Russian Federation for the management of spent fuel. The Russian Federation will take these spent fuel back to their country,” she said. The premier said this while joining virtually along with Russian President Vladimir Putin the Graduation Ceremony of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) when the uranium fuel for the plant was handed over to Bangladesh authorities. The function was held at the plant’s site in Ishwardi, Pabna. PM Hasina joined from her official residence Ganabhaban in Dhaka, while President Putin joined from Kremlin, Moscow.

Hasina said that the design and construction of this nuclear power plant is being carried out keeping in mind that it does not get damaged during any kind of disaster. She also expressed her firm commitment to the complete elimination of nuclear weapons worldwide and to the implementation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Earlier at the ceremony, ROSATOM Director General Alexy Likhachev handed over the certificate of fuel delivery and model of the fuel assembly to Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman at the plant site, which was witnessed by both Sheikh Hasina and Vladimir Putin.

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi also spoke joining virtually from Vienna. With Yeafesh Osman in the chair, ROSATOM Director General Alexy Likhachev also spoke. At the outset, an audio-video documentary on the manufacturing and delivery of the first batch of nuclear fuel for RNPP was screened, while RNPP Project Director and Managing Director of NPCBL Dr Md Shawkat Akbar made a presentation on the RNPP. Science and Technology Secretary Md Ali Hossain delivered the welcome address.