Russia’s nuclear agency refutes allegations of corruption in Bangladesh power project

Rosatom State Corporation is “ready to defend its interests and reputation in court”, the Russian agency said in a statement.

Published on: Dec 24, 2024, 14:13:05 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

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Russia’s state-run nuclear agency on Tuesday refuted allegations of corruption and embezzlement by an anti-graft panel in Bangladesh related to an atomic power plant it is building in the South Asian country.

The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Bangladesh. (AFP File Photo)

Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission said on Monday it had begun an investigation into allegations that former premier Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed and her niece, UK treasury minister Tulip Siddiq, had embezzled $5 billion from the “overpriced $12.65 billion” Rooppur nuclear power plant (NPP).

“Rosatom State Corporation refutes provocative statements about the implementation of the Rooppur NPP project that have appeared in the media,” the state-run nuclear agency said in a statement.

“Rosatom is committed to a policy of openness and the principle of combating corruption in all its projects and maintains a transparent procurement system. External audits regularly confirm the openness of the business processes of the project,” it said.

Rosatom State Corporation is “ready to defend its interests and reputation in court”, the statement said.

“We consider false statements in the media as an attempt to discredit the Rooppur NPP project, which is being implemented to solve the country’s energy supply problems and is aimed at improving the well-being of the people of Bangladesh,” it said.

Indian companies are involved in developing infrastructure for the Rooppur nuclear power plant, which is being implemented by Rosatom. The plant has been described as the first initiative under an India-Russia deal to carry out atomic energy projects in third countries.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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