Amid sudden nationwide load-shedding and a severe power crisis, a new wave of discussion has surfaced in Dhaka regarding the country's first nuclear power plant. While the deadline for commercial operation of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant was previously moving at a slow pace under the pretext of safety and technical reasons, the current unfolding situation has served as a wake-up call for Dhaka's policymakers. As public life comes to a standstill due to power outages across the country, Science and Technology Adviser Rozina Islam held an urgent, unscheduled meeting with high-level officials of Russia's state atomic energy corporation, 'Rosatom', on the sidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conference in Vienna. During the meeting, Dhaka strongly urged Rosatom to complete the Rooppur project at the earliest to begin power generation.

According to diplomatic and economic observers, there is a complex dynamic behind this rushed meeting. The vast majority of the nearly $12 billion Rooppur project is funded through Russian loans. However, recent geopolitical tensions, US sanctions, and currency settlement complexities created strain between Bangladesh and Russia regarding loan installments and repayments. Furthermore, citing technical and safety evaluations, the scheduled date for commercial power generation of the first unit was repeatedly deferred. Consequently, despite the work being nearly finished, extreme uncertainty arose over adding Rooppur’s electricity to the national grid.

However, following the escalating severity of the nationwide power crisis, the sudden shift in Dhaka’s position has become clear. To ease the pressure on thermal power plants and manage the domestic energy deficit, Dhaka currently has no quick alternative other than Rooppur’s nuclear energy. Therefore, despite ongoing bilateral discussions over complex currency settlements and construction timelines, Dhaka is casting aside administrative bureaucracy to push Rosatom to wrap up the work swiftly.

The meeting in Vienna highlights that Dhaka currently has no option but to adopt a pragmatic stance in its foreign and energy policies. The fate of this mega-project built with Russian loans no longer depends solely on financial transactions; Bangladesh’s energy security now hinges on Rosatom delivering Rooppur on schedule. How effective this effort to accelerate coordination and relations with Russia will ultimately be in lifting the country out of the dark remains to be seen.

Author: Sachin Bangali, Columnist and Political Analyst