Russian deputy PM arrives in Dhaka

Russian deputy prime minister for defence and space industry Yury Borisov arrived in Bangladesh on Friday night to visit the construction work of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Ishwardi of Pabna.

Foreign ministry secretary (Asia and Pacific) Mahbub Uz Zaman and science and technology ministry additional secretary Md Humayun Kabir Lasker received the Borisov at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11:45pm, an official told UNB.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina and the Russian deputy premier are scheduled to visit the site of the first nuclear plant of the country on Saturday by a helicopter, a foreign ministry source said.

Yury Borisov will stay in Dhaka for less than 24 hours, the source added.

Earlier, foreign secretary Shahidul Haque said they, in foreign office, are extremely hopeful that the relationship between the two countries will only "go up and up" and there is no question of going down in the days to come.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina in a message on the occasion of the first concrete pouring into the second unit of the nuclear power plant said the construction of the plant is a long-cherished dream that was initiated in 1961.

But unfortunately, the implementation of that dream could not be materialised due to the discriminatory behaviour of the then Pakistan government, she said.

After assuming power in 2009, the current government took "pragmatic measures" to implement the nuclear plant, Hasina said.

“I hope that the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant will play a vital role in our socio-economic development and also in implementing the vision 2041 of our government. I wish all-out success of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant,” the prime minister said.