Bangladesh–Russia nuclear collaboration: A model for emerging economies looking for alternative energy sources



Sariful Islam
photo Barta24.com

photo Barta24.com

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Bangladesh is globally recognized as a fast-growing economy but some critical bottlenecks could soon hamper the country’s bid to join the club of developed nations. Bangladesh is not alone in this. Several developing nations face a huge glass ceiling while scaling up their economy, that of power. Power is the critical component that replaces the raw muscle power of labour, enabling mechanization, better working conditions and higher levels of income. 

The Government of Bangladesh has already charted out an ambitious plan to raise the present individual per capita income from $1,466 to $12,500 by 2041 by increasing production in the manufacturing goods basket, modernising agriculture-based production as well as expanding the critical industrial sectors.

Although industrialisation is one of the main wheels to an advanced economy, the country faces a severe lack of electricity to feed the looms and the levers. The plan envisioned by the Sheikh Hasina’s government aims to create a total of 100 special economic zones by 2025, some of which have been already inaugurated while some are under construction and nearing completion.

Needless to say, these special economic zones will create huge job opportunities as well as increase the GDP of Bangladesh. The devil in the detail here is that power supply is a must for the proper functioning of these special economic zones which Bangladesh currently lacks. The Bangladesh government under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina does realise the importance of power generation for industrialisation and has thus included a sustainable power generation strategy in the plan. Bangladesh has also taken a bold initiative of constructing new power plants among which the nuclear power plant in Rooppur nestled in the northern district of Pabna is a unique one. This is being built with Russian assistance.

The country’s first nuclear power plant at Rooppur consists of two units – each with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts. Under a general agreement signed in 2015, Russia’s state-run Rosatom nuclear corporation is tasked with constructing the plant. They will also operate it and provide fuel. The first unit would be operational by 2023 while the second one by 2024. The construction works have been going on day and night in the Rooppur site to meet the deadline. Russia has predictably emerged as an all-weather friend of Bangladesh in constructing the plant and has been sending heavy equipments in time keeping with the schedule. The plant will operate for 60 years with the option to extend the operations by another 20 years.

The latest technology VVER-1200 is being used which is a third-generation reactor. Its ingenious feature is its passive safety system. The passive safety system allows the cooling system to operate in an emergency even the plant goes out of electricity. All safety system functions 24x7 while it works for the core for 72 hours. The latter means, if an accident happens, there is time to take all necessary pre-emptive measures to prevent the radiation spread or, in a highly unlikely scenario shift the residents of the nearby area. According to Rosatom, the VVER-1200 is designed to avoid tragic disasters such as Fukushima or Chernobyl.

Besides Bangladesh, Russia has also been constructing nuclear power plants in many countries around the globe. In the Middle East, Russia has contracted with Turkey to build VVER-1200 reactors while Egypt is going to have four VVER-1200 reactors. A World Nuclear News report also confirmed that European countries such as Belarus, Finland and maybe Hungary are also going to have Russian generation III+ reactors. Even China, which has reportedly approached Bangladesh with proposals for a second nuclear power plant, signed an agreement in 2019 to construct in two sites. Both these sites are required to have two VVER-1200 reactors.

About choosing Russia in constructing RNPP, Dr ASM Ali Ashraf, a Professor at the Department of International Relations at the University of Dhaka, says, ‘I think Bangladesh-Russia nuclear energy cooperation provides a template for understanding how a country implementing its first nuclear power plant (NPP) makes vital decisions regarding the choice of vendor country, reactor technology, and spent fuel management.’

Dr. Ashraf, whose research interest area is nuclear policy in South Asia, further states, ‘Among these three decisions, the first one is the most crucial determined by a country’s energy mix, geopolitical realities and NPP funding plans.’

In materialising the $13 billion ‘dream project,’ Bangladesh has been getting financial assistance from Russia. In addition to this, Moscow has been providing training and scholarship to study nuclear science and technology in Russia to Bangladeshi students and nuclear scientists who will later take the responsibility of operating the nuclear facilities.

To achieve the target of being developed countries by 2041, the use of nuclear energy for civilian purpose is but a well-calculated choice of a power-starved nation like Bangladesh. The electricity produced by nuclear power plants would be cheaper than other power generating coal-powered plants. A recent estimate of Bangladesh government suggests the price of per unit electricity of RNPP would be Taka 4.5 which is nearly half of the electricity produced in coal-powered plants.

This is also the case with most developing nations. Though the production cost of electricity generated by using gas is half of the nuclear one, the reserve of gas is depleting and can sustain by a decade or a decade and a half as some academic research suggests. Gas being a global commodity, the low purchasing power of developing nations also translates to their lack of access to this key resource. Countries having deposits would also have to let go of the substantial foreign income from gas if they desist from taking the nuclear route. Another advantage of nuclear power over gas is that prices are stable and immune to fluctuations.

The first-ever nuclear power plant could open up a wide area of opportunities for Bangladesh including attracting foreign investment. The electricity deficit costing industrial production could be a thing of the past. Once the nuclear power plant would be operational, the supply of electricity to the industrial zones as well as other large business firms and service providing facilities can be expected to be smooth. If Bangladesh can ensure proper electricity supply along with other special offers, it can nudge corporations to set up base and turn itself into a manufacturing hub in South Asia. Recently countries such as Switzerland, South Korea and Japan among others have shown their interest in investing or increasing the investment in Bangladesh. Other countries have also been looking for the option of shifting their companies from China. Getting an assurance of uninterrupted electricity is likely to influence the decision of the foreign companies in stepping in Bangladesh.

 Sariful Islam, Research Scholar, Department of International Relations, South Asian University, New Delhi.

   

Dhaka is the sixth most polluted city in the world, Seoul is on top



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

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Today, Dhaka is sixth in the list of the most polluted cities in the world. The air quality of the capital has become 'unhealthy' with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 172 at 6:50 am today.

South Korea's capital Seoul topped the air quality index with 343. South Korea's Incheon, Pakistan's Lahore, Vietnam's Chiang Mai and India's Delhi occupy the second, third, fourth and fifth places in the list with AQI scores of 217, 187, 179 and 177 respectively.

An AQI score between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy' for sensitive groups. An AQI score between 201 and 300 is considered 'very unhealthy'. And an AQI between 301 and 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing a serious health risk to residents.

AQI in Bangladesh is determined based on 5 parameters of pollution, namely - Particulate Matter (PM10 & PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone (O3).

Dhaka has been suffering from air pollution for a long time. Its air quality generally becomes unhealthy during winters and improves slightly during monsoons.

In March 2019, a report by the Department of Environment and the World Bank stated that the three main causes of Dhaka's air pollution are brick kilns, smoke from vehicles and dust from construction activities.

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Taka 400 crores laundered through digital Hundi, controlled by Dubai



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
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Photo: Collected

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Police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested 5 people for allegedly laundering around Tk. 400 crore abroad through Digital Hundi using Mobile Banking Service (MFS).

CID Chief Additional IGP Mohammad Ali Mia informed this in a press conference at CID headquarters on Thursday (March 28) afternoon.

The arrested are - Nasim Ahmed (62), the owner of Tasmia Associates, Fazle Rabbi Sumon (32), the territory sales manager of Agent SIM, Md. Kamruzzaman (33), Zahir Uddin (37), representative of Jet Robotics Apps Bangladesh and Khairul Islam alias Pius (34).

Additional IGP Mohammad Ali Mia said, a gang has smuggled around Tk. 400 crore abroad through digital Hundi using mobile banking services. Five members of this gang were arrested during the operation.

He said that Tk. 400 crores illegally came to Bangladesh through Jet Robotics app in the last few months. Police traced the app through intelligence.

He also said that the money of this gang was transacted from the Chattogram based distribution house. Five members of the gang were arrested in separate raids in Dhaka and Chattogram on Wednesday night.

He said that Tk. 28 lakh 51 thousand cash was seized from them at the time of arrest. He said that they used to rent development agent SIMS and deliver money through them to the grassroots level.

The head of CID said that Mamun, the master of this gang lives in Dubai. He is using agent SIM here. This app used for smuggling cannot work outside 48 SIM along the specific link sent from Dubai. Only seven people can enter this app.

Referring to this as a modern form of Hundi business, he said, money is being circulated in the country through this app by blocking remittances coming to Bangladesh. Already we got 5-7 more such organizations who are working like this.

He said, in the last three months, Tk. 400 crores have been hindered from coming to Bangladesh through Jet Robotic Apps. Five people using these apps have been arrested and their devices seized.

He said, Chattogram's development distribution house Tasmia Associates company has 1000 Bkash Agent SIMs. These agent SIMs who are not performing well, the agent SIMs provide DSOs to the users of Jet Robotic Apps.

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Demand for punishment for those responsible for electrocution death in Moulvibazar



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
Photo: barta24.com

Photo: barta24.com

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The death of 6 members of the same family due to electrocution in Moulvibazar is very shocking and heartbreaking. The chairman of the National Human Rights Commission Dr. Kamaluddin Ahmed said that the main responsible person and institution should be brought under accountability.

He made this comment at a discussion on 'Role of Media in Protection of Human Rights and Consumer Rights' organized by 'Business Digest' at a hotel in the capital on Thursday (March 28).

The Chairman of the Human Rights Commission said, after investigating the incident of Moulvibazar, appropriate legal action should be taken against those responsible and necessary measures should be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. We could not do anything for one family, but we have to do for hundreds of such families.

He also said that the issue of rights is directly and indirectly the daily practice of the media. Media can question all the irregularities; make people aware of their rights and duties and play an important role in establishing rights. We can carry out reformative activities only in view of the news published in the media.

Dr. Kamal Uddin Ahmed called on the media workers to take all-out efforts to spread the necessary knowledge about the constitution, law and rights among the people.

At one stage of the discussion, he said about the recurrence of fires, we have not learned proper lessons from the big fires and explosions in Nimatli, Newmarket and Bangabazar in the past years. Had we taken effective measures, recurrence of fires could have been prevented.

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Suggestion to introduce Human Rights Wing in the Foreign Ministry



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recommended setting up a new wing on human rights to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The suggestion was made at the parliamentary committee meeting held at Jatiya Sangsad Bhavan on Thursday (March 28). After the meeting, this information was informed in a press release of the Parliament Secretariat.

The meeting recommended taking necessary steps to recognize March 25 as International Genocide Day. A proposal was made in the meeting to visit the Rohingya camps Kutupalong and Bhasanchar with the members of the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Chairman of the committee AK Abdul Momen chaired the meeting and members of the committee and Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, Shahriar Alam, Nahim Razzak, Nizam Uddin Jalil, Nurul Islam Nahid, Habibur Rahman, Saimum Sarwar, Zara Zabeen Mahbub took part in the meeting. #

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