Special cargo flight carrying Rooppur nuclear fuel lands in Dhaka

A special cargo flight carrying uranium fuel for the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) arrived in Dhaka late Friday night (2 October), marking the delivery of nuclear fuel for Bangladesh's first nuclear power plant.

The flight landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 11:43pm, airport Executive Director Group Captain Ragib Samad told The Business Standard.

He said information related to the movement of the consignment was classified.

Earlier on Friday night, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat made a surprise visit to the airport and said police had taken necessary security measures for the movement of the Rooppur uranium shipment.

The aircraft was initially expected to arrive in Bangladesh on Friday afternoon, but its arrival was delayed by several hours.

The shipment, which will be used to fuel the plant's first unit, was originally scheduled to arrive on 24 September. However, the delivery was delayed after Pakistan did not grant permission for the aircraft to use its airspace.

Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam said on 28 September that the shipment was awaiting clearance from Pakistan.

"Pakistan has not given the clearance. There are several countries on the route - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and then India. The clearance from Pakistan, as it was granted previously, will be given. Maybe there was some gap and it was not approved. It will be cleared," he told reporters.

The uranium was transported to Bangladesh aboard a Russian-made, four-engine Ilyushin Il-76 cargo aircraft.