It’s no big secret that Bangladesh has been struggling to meet its energy demands ever since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine -- given our over-reliance on fuel imports, this was bound to happen. But with the final batch of uranium reaching the long-gestating Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, the end of our energy crisis may finally be within reach.
The plant is set to open as the first nuclear power plant in the country, with a projected annual operational capacity of 2,400 MW. For years, Bangladesh has relied mostly on fossil fuels for its energy generation needs and while this has worked out well so far, it is also an extremely costly method of energy production which makes it unattractive and unsustainable for the long run.
There is also the matter of environmental pollution, something that is especially relevant to us. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, and continuing to use coal is akin to shooting ourselves in the foot -- pivoting towards nuclear energy, then, would pay a lot of dividend on multiple fronts.
However, with nuclear energy comes the added concern of nuclear waste and its disposal. Nuclear energy -- while clean and efficient -- comes with its own set of caveats, and if we fail to take proper precautions, the fallout can be disastrous. This is especially problematic given our population density and lack of space, as even without casualties if leakage or spillage affects the usability of what little land we have, that will set us back years, not decades. This is one area that the relevant authorities need to be trained to their utmost by our international partners in this project.
The future is looking bright for Bangladesh, but we must not be blind to all the ways it can go wrong for us.
Sunday, July 19, 2026
