Rooppur Power Plant a white elephant in energy sector: Experts

The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has come under fire, with critics labelling it a white elephant that exemplifies the mismanagement and corruption plaguing the country's energy sector under the ousted Awami League government.

Their comments came at a regional dialogue, titled "Dialogue for Democratic Reconstruction", organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) held at Hotel Agrabad in Chattogram today.

The dialogue featured Muinul Islam, an economist and former professor at Chittagong University, and Nizam Uddin Ahmed, a former public administration professor at the same university, as guest speakers. Zillur Rahman, executive director of CGS, moderated the dialogue, which saw contributions from academics, students, lawyers, civil society members, and other professionals.

Muinul Islam, in his speech, called for systemic changes in governance, advocating constitutional reforms to balance powers between the prime minister and the president.

He criticised the Rooppur Power Plant and the controversial Adani Group energy deal as prime examples of large-scale corruption and mismanagement in the energy sector.

"These projects have become massive financial burdens on the nation, draining resources without delivering the promised benefits," Muinul Islam said, adding that immediate reforms are necessary to curb such inefficiencies.

Nizam Uddin Ahmed echoed the need for reforms, particularly in safeguarding fundamental rights and ensuring a balanced executive branch.

He stressed that any constitutional changes must protect the rights of the people and prevent future governments from altering the constitution post-election to suit their interests.

Zillur Rahman, in his concluding remarks, underscored the importance of perseverance in building a democratic state, emphasising that setbacks in governance do not equate to national failure.