International
oi-Prakash KL
A Russian cargo flight carrying nuclear fuel for Bangladesh’s Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant was unable to reach the country after Pakistan did not grant permission for the aircraft to pass through its airspace.
Bangladesh’s Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam confirmed that the shipment, which was expected to arrive on September 24, had been delayed because the flight could not secure the required clearance from Pakistan.
Pakistan denied airspace for a Russian cargo flight carrying nuclear fuel to Bangladesh’s Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, delaying the September 24 shipment; Russia will use an alternative route, expecting delivery in early October.
“We heard that a cargo plane carrying uranium for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Bangladesh was scheduled to arrive on September 24. However, the flight was not given permission to use Pakistani airspace, so the uranium did not arrive in Bangladesh as planned,” Anam told ANI.
He said Russia had proposed a new schedule, with the shipment expected to reach Bangladesh in the first week of October.
The consignment is significant as it is part of the first batch of nuclear fuel meant for the second reactor unit at Rooppur. The shipment was reportedly scheduled to travel through Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan and India before reaching Bangladesh.
Pakistan cites technical and procedural issues
Pakistan has rejected claims that the airspace denial was linked to broader diplomatic tensions. In a clarification issued by the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka, Islamabad said requests for diplomatic flights and overflight permissions are handled according to established aviation procedures and regulatory requirements.
The High Commission said the particular case appeared to involve “technical and procedural arrangements” relating to flight routing and airspace permissions. Such issues, it said, can require coordination between aviation and other authorities and may lead to changes in flight schedules.
Pakistan also stressed that it attaches importance to its relations with Bangladesh and said the incident should be viewed in its “proper technical context”.
Russia Plans Alternative Route
The delay is not expected to stop the delivery of nuclear fuel to Rooppur.
According to The Daily Star, representatives associated with Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom said shipments for the second reactor would resume in October using an alternative route.
The remaining fuel is expected to be delivered through seven cargo flights by December.
Rosatom has also said that supplies for the second unit will begin in October and continue until the end of December. Fuel deliveries for Rooppur’s first reactor unit were completed in 2023.
Why is Rooppur nuclear plant important?
Rooppur is Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant and is being developed with Russian technical assistance. The project is located on the banks of the Padma River in Pabna district.
The facility consists of two VVER-1200 reactors, each representing a third-generation nuclear reactor design. Together, the two units are expected to generate around 2,400 MW of electricity.
The project is being implemented under the supervision of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, with Rosatom providing technical support.
Once operational, Rooppur is expected to become an important source of baseload electricity for Bangladesh.
For now, the latest disruption has affected the transportation schedule of nuclear fuel for the second unit, but Russia says the remaining consignments will be delivered through an alternative route before the end of the year.
