Pakistan has clarified that its refusal to allow airspace for the transportation of nuclear fuel meant for Bangladesh's Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant was due to technical issues. The Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka stated that the matter relates to technical and procedural arrangements concerning flight routing and airspace permissions. These issues can occasionally require coordination among relevant aviation and other authorities, resulting in adjustments to flight schedules.
The nuclear fuel for Unit 2 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Bangladesh was scheduled to arrive on September 24 but has not arrived yet due to the airspace blockage. Bangladesh's Minister for Science and Technology, Faqir Mahbub Anam, stated that the exact reason for Pakistan not granting airspace clearance is still unknown. A new date has been proposed, with Russia indicating the first week of October for the uranium to arrive in Bangladesh.
The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Bangladesh's first nuclear power facility, is being constructed in Rooppur village, located along the banks of the Padma River in Pakshi Union, Ishwardi Upazila, Pabna District. The project involves the construction of two third-generation VVER-1200 reactor units, which will collectively generate 2,400 megawatts of baseload electricity. The plant is being built with technical assistance from Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation, Rosatom.
Bangladesh officially ushered in the nuclear age as the initial shipment of low-enriched uranium fuel for Unit 1 of the 2,400 MW Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant arrived safely from Russia. The 164 fresh fuel assemblies were flown directly from Russia into Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport aboard a heavy-lift Russian cargo aircraft under strict international safeguards.
From the capital, the radiation-shielded containers were transported along a heavily fortified 'green corridor' guarded by the Bangladesh Army and law enforcement agencies to the plant site in Ishwardi, Pabna. An official handover ceremony was held in October 2023. The fuel for Unit 2 was supposed to arrive on September 24 but has been delayed due to Pakistan's denial of airspace clearance.
Pakistan's High Commission in Dhaka emphasized that Pakistan attaches high importance to its relations with Bangladesh and that the matter should be viewed in its proper technical context. They added that undue significance should not be attached to reports or narratives that may seek to misplace the issue and undermine bilateral relations.
The delay in the nuclear fuel transit has raised concerns about the impact on the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant's operations. Bangladesh's Joint Secretary to the Science and Technology Ministry, Sheikh Mohammed Tauhidul Islam, stated that they had completed all preparations at the airport and were waiting, but the liaison officer from Rosatom informed them that the airspace was not clear.
Key points
- Pakistan denies airspace for Bangladesh's Rooppur nuclear fuel transit, citing technical issues.
- The nuclear fuel for Unit 2 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant was scheduled to arrive on September 24 but has been delayed.
- The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is being built with technical assistance from Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation, Rosatom.
