Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday asked the authorities concerned to complete the work on Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant within the stipulated time.

‘I hope the work on the power plant will go ahead speedily in line with the timeframe,’ she said, asking the authorities concerned to discharge their respective duties with utmost sincerity in this regard.

Sheikh Hasina made the directive while presiding over the 4th meeting of the National Committee for monitoring and providing necessary directives for properly implementing the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project at her office.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said the meeting discussed in details the overall progress of the mega project and reviewed the progress of the decisions taken in its previous meeting held on 7 August, 2013.

Science and Technology Ministry Secretary Mohammad Sirajul Haque Khan made a power-point presentation on the nuclear project.

The Prime Minister at the meeting said her government during its 1996-2001 term took initiatives for the execution of the project after holding discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

But, after the changeover of power, the successive government did not take any initiative for implementing this project, she added.

After assuming office again in 2009, the Prime Minister said, her government took a fresh drive for executing the project with IAEA’s permission.

Before taking the project, Hasina said she had received assurance from the Russian government that the Russian authorities concerned will manage the waste of the nuclear power plant since Bangladesh has no such experience in this regard.

Through implementation of this project, she said, the country’s power generation capacity will get a boost, while the Bangladeshi scientists will be able to gather necessary knowledge on nuclear power.

Besides, she said, jobs for a huge number of people will be generated in the project area.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud, Forests and Environment Minister Anwar Hossain Monju, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman, BoI Executive Chairman Dr SA Samad, PM’s Advisers HT Imam, Dr Moshiur Rahman, Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, PM’s Principal Secretary Md Abul Kalam Azad and secretaries concerned were present at the meeting.

Earlier on 25 December  last year, the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) and Russian company JSC Atomstroyexport signed a general contract for the construction of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). BAEC Chairman Md Monirul Islam and Vice President of Atomstroyexport Vladimir N Savuskhin signed the contract on behalf of their respective organisations.

Atomostroyexport, the contractor appointed by Russia’s state-owned atomic power body, Rosatom, will construct the NPP at a cost of $12.65 billion.

The nuke plant project (1st phase) was first approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on 2 April, 2013 with an estimated cost of Tk 5,087 crore. The first phase is expected to be completed by December 2016.