The first nuclear power plant

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Lutfor Rahman The first nuclear power plant project in Bangladesh was inaugurated on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at Rooppur under the district of Pabna. The initiative to set up the plant was taken in early 1960s when the region was under the then government of Pakistan. At that time, Rajshahi University, the only university in the north Bengal, had just started with some relevant subjects, including Nuclear Physics. The plan to establish Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant created great hope among the students of Physics departments (Nuclear Physics, Solid State Physics and Applied Physics) of Rajshahi University of getting jobs there. The students were also informed that the then Chairman (Professor Dr. Ahmed Hossain) of the Physics Department of Rajshahi University would take the Chair of Director of the Rooppur Power project. Those students passed out from the university with M.Sc. or PhD degrees in time and most of them have retired from their respective professions. Though it is a long gap, the inauguration of the Rooppur Project gives me (a student of Rajshahi University, 1965-69) much pleasure. Things have changed, technology has developed a lot and risks have minimised but benefits have increased many folds. The country is no longer Pakistan; it is independent Bangladesh that we have won through a liberation war in 1971 taking active participation as freedom fighters. Now the responsibility is ours to shape our country the way we feel the best. Unfortunately, we are not yet empowered and skilled enough to set up a nuclear project like the Rooppur project using our own technology. As such we need to look for someone who can do the job according to our needs and expectation. We must have lots of questions regarding the costs and people's safety. There will be two units of the Rooppur NPP, each of 1,000-MW capacities. The Russian delegates, including the director general of Russia's state-owned nuclear power operator, Rosatom, attended the inauguration programme of the project. Some citizens of Bangladesh have raised complex questions about the safety of the people living around the project areas. As citizens of an independent country, everybody has the right to raise questions. This is high time for us to ask questions to the Russian delegates. Complexities or doubts in mind must be removed through face to face discussions or dialogues at the project area. Dr. Lutfor Rahman is Professor of CSE at Stamford University. [email protected]