Cabinet okays proposal to sign deal with Russia

The cabinet at its weekly meeting yesterday approved a proposal to sign a cooperation agreement with Russia to set up the much talked-about Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant in Pabna.
It also approved the draft of the Bangabandhu Poverty Alleviation and Rural Development Academy Act 2011.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Prime Minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad said the nuclear power plant will be set up as part of the government's target to generate 20,000MW electricity by 2021 to ensure power coverage all over the country.
Earlier in February, Bangladesh and Russia sealed a framework agreement to install the country's first nuclear power plant costing around US $1.5 to $2 billion.
During the cabinet meeting held at the Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, the ministers thanked the premier and her daughter Saima Hossain Wazed for successfully holding the recent international conference on autism.
They also observed that the programme drew significant attention of different international quarters, and Bangladesh's image has been improved in the global arena. Even the US administration thanked Bangladesh and the organisers for holding such conference, one of the ministers said.
The ministers opined that the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India would be strengthened for Indian National Congress President Sonia Gandhi's presence in the autism conference.