Scrap Rooppur plant deal

The country's 10 eminent citizens yesterday called upon the government to cancel the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant deal with Russia as the project involves potential environmental risks.

In a statement, they said as per the Nuclear Power Plant Act 2015, nuclear safety should be given the highest priority. Handling, treatment, conditioning and disposal of all types of radioactive waste have to be fully secure.

“The government at different times had said the Russian company would take full responsibility of managing the radioactive waste, but in fact the company was trying to pass on the responsibility to Bangladesh. Under no circumstances Bangladesh would be able to do it and it is not possible,” read the statement.

It expressed concern over recent media reports stating that Russia would not take back the radioactive waste to be generated from the plant.

The 10 famed personalities are Nijera Kori Coordinator Khushi Kabir, rights activists Sultana Kamal and Hameeda Hossain, Campaign for Popular Education Executive Director Rasheda K Choudhury, member secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports Prof Anu Muhammad, Prof Syed Manzoorul Islam of Dhaka University, BELA Chief Executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Shujan President M Hafizuddin Khan, columnist Syed Abul Maksud and Transparency International Bangladesh Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman.

According to the statement, the country's citizens repeatedly expressed worries about setting up of the power plant and the lack of transparency in the contract process. There had been accidents at nuclear power plants abroad.

Ignoring all the pleas, the government went ahead with the project without taking into account people's opinion, and later signed the deal. The contract is yet to be made public, the statement added.

Bangladesh and Russia signed the deal on the 2,400 MW power plant to be built at a cost of about $13 billion.

The eminent citizens pointed out that lack of local technical preparation is a matter of grave concern.

There was a vote in Italy in favour of keeping the country free from radioactive waste, while Australia, Austria, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Luxemburg, Malaysia, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, and Portugal took stance against nuclear power plants, said the statement.

While the technologically sound countries like Spain, Switzerland, Belgium and Germany have pledged to move away from nuclear power plants, and Japan has been struggling to overcome the impact of the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, such a project in earthquake-prone Bangladesh might be a curse instead of a blessing, it added.

The renowned citizens said storage and treatment of radioactive waste in a populous country like Bangladesh is impossible.

“So, we demand cancellation of the deal on Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. Instead, we demand the government adopt a plan of action on sustainable energy based on opinions of experts and common people.”