A shipment of nuclear fuel for Bangladesh’s Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant could not arrive from Russia as scheduled after the required permission to use Pakistani airspace was not obtained. The consignment was due to reach Bangladesh on 24 September, but the planned flight could not operate. Under a revised schedule, the transportation of the uranium may resume in the first week of October.
Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam told journalists on Monday that the scheduled flight could not arrive because the necessary clearance from Pakistan had not been secured. Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom has since issued a revised timetable, with the first shipment now expected to be brought in during the first week of October.
The minister said Russia remains responsible for delivering the nuclear fuel to Bangladesh within the agreed arrangements. He also indicated that there could be some variation in the timing, suggesting that a short delay would not necessarily affect the broader fuel delivery process.
According to project sources, 48 fuel assemblies required for refuelling the first unit after one year were planned to be transported in two separate flights. The first flight was scheduled for 24 September, while the second was due on 1 October. Following the postponement of the first flight, a revised schedule has been prepared, with the shipment process expected to begin from 1 October.
A separate transportation programme has also been drawn up for the initial fuel requirement of the plant’s second unit. Project officials said seven flights are scheduled from 8 October, with one flight planned each week. The fuel for the second unit is expected to be transported in several consignments, following a process similar to the one used to bring fuel for the first unit to Bangladesh in 2023.
The transportation route from Russia is a key factor behind the latest delay. According to project-related sources, the planned air route passes through the airspace of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. As a result, the necessary permissions from countries along the route are an important part of arranging the shipment.
Preparations had already been made in Bangladesh to receive the consignment and transport it to the Rooppur plant. However, Rosatom informed the relevant authorities late on 23 September that the required approval for the route had not been obtained. The development subsequently prevented the flight scheduled for the following day from operating as planned.
The issue comes as the Rooppur project moves towards the next stages of fuel-related operations. Nuclear fuel deliveries are a critical part of preparing the plant’s units for operation, making the timing and coordination of international transport an important logistical matter.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs State Minister Humayun Kabir held a courtesy meeting with Pakistan’s High Commissioner Imran Haider on Monday. When asked whether the two sides discussed the lack of permission to use Pakistani airspace for transporting Rooppur’s uranium fuel, Kabir said the matter was not discussed.
He said it was his first courtesy meeting with the Pakistani high commissioner. Kabir also said there was no reason to be concerned about obtaining permission to use Pakistani airspace.
For now, the authorities are working on the revised schedule provided by Rosatom. If the necessary clearances are secured, the first delayed consignment is expected to move in early October, followed by the shipments planned for the second unit.
