Rooppur’s Power in National Grid: Sheikh Hasina Government’s Achievements Downplayed

Staff Reporter

For the first time, nuclear power has been connected to Bangladesh’s national grid. On Monday, June 2, at 3:30 PM, electricity transmission from the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to the national grid began.

In a statement, Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) announced that with the successful activation of the Rooppur-Gopalganj 400 kV transmission line, a milestone has been achieved in transmitting power from the plant’s first unit.

They stated, “With the activation of this line, the goal of transmitting nuclear power to Bangladesh’s national grid has been fulfilled.”

This nearly 158-kilometer-long transmission line consists of 414 towers.

Earlier, two other high-voltage transmission lines were activated as part of preparations for the plant’s operation—one connected to Baghabari (230 kV) and the other to Bogura (400 kV). The Rooppur-Baghabari line was activated on June 30, 2022, and the Rooppur-Bogura line on April 30, 2024.

With these three lines, the plant now has the capacity to transmit up to 6,000 megawatts of electricity, though its actual production capacity remains around 2,400 megawatts.

“Credit to Whom It’s Due, But No Name Mentioned”

The leadership, planning, and international cooperation behind the implementation of this power plant primarily belong to the tenure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

In 2011, the Awami League government signed an agreement with Russia for the nuclear power project. Construction officially began in 2013. In 2017, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself inaugurated the main construction work of the plant.

The project was made possible with 93% loan assistance (approximately $11.38 billion) from Russia’s state-owned company Rosatom. This is the largest economic and technological agreement in Bangladesh’s history. Yet, now that the power has been connected to the national grid, this history is being overshadowed.

While the interim government led by Dr. Yunus mentioned the project’s name, it avoided acknowledging Sheikh Hasina’s leadership. Neither the Power Development Board nor the Ministry of Power has issued any statement mentioning when the project began or under whose leadership.

A senior engineer associated with the project, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “The history of a world-class project should not be erased. This is not a partisan achievement but a national asset—yet history cannot be wiped away.”

Analysts say that the successful implementation of a major project is as much about technological and economic capability as it is about political leadership and diplomatic relations. The Rooppur plant is the biggest example of this.