Ukraine crisis unlikely to affect Rooppur, other projects: Foreign secy

Bangladesh does not see any direct impact on the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and other projects now, but the country is keeping close tabs on the overall situation, said Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen.

“So far, we think, there will be no direct impact on Rooppur or other projects,” Masud Bin Momen told reporters after attending a programme in the city Saturday evening.

He, however, said, there might be some effects if the financial transactions are routed through New York.

The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is expected to become operational from next year. Originally, the first unit of the power plant was scheduled to open by 2024 and the second one by 2025.

The US and European allies said Friday they were stepping up sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by adding measures directly targeting President Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister, putting diplomatic appeals to one side as Russia’s forces closed on Ukraine’s capital, according to AP.

Earlier, the foreign secretary attended the lecture “The Dynamics of Bangladesh-USA Relations: Democracy and Human Rights or Geopolitical Interest?” hosted by the Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs (BILIA).

Sujit Kumar Datta, associate professor and chairman of the Department of International Relations at the University of Chittagong, presented the keynote paper.

Toufiq Islam Shatil, director general (Americas) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and ASM Ali Ashraf, professor at the Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka, attended as discussants.

BILIA director professor Mizanur Rahman delivered welcome speech.