Pabna, Oct 03 (V7N)- A special consignment of nuclear fuel for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has reached the facility in Pabna under tight security.
Three lorries carrying the fuel arrived at the power plant at around 12:30 pm on Saturday, according to Dr Zayedul Hasan, Managing Director of Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL).
Strict security measures were put in place along the route before the convoy reached Rooppur. Police and other law enforcement agencies cleared the main road of vehicles and pedestrians, while intelligence agencies maintained heightened surveillance.
Earlier, the convoy carrying the fuel left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at around 7:15 am under security led by the Bangladesh Army.
Three lorries carrying the nuclear fuel travelled in the convoy along with another vehicle carrying related equipment. Members of a Russian expert team also accompanied the shipment.
The convoy was secured by a joint force comprising the Army, police, Special Security Force, dog squad and Armed Police Battalion. Traffic was temporarily restricted along sections of the route during the transportation, causing congestion in several areas.
The convoy reached the Panchlia intercity truck rest house on the Jamuna Bridge West Link Highway at around 9:30 am and stopped briefly. After a break of about 15 minutes, it resumed its journey towards Rooppur.
The shipment arrived in Dhaka late Friday night after an aircraft carrying the nuclear fuel landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority received the consignment.
The arrival of the fuel in Bangladesh followed uncertainty over the shipment schedule. The consignment is part of the fuel supply required for the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
According to officials, nine more flights carrying nuclear fuel for the Rooppur plant are expected to arrive between November and December as part of the planned deliveries.
END/SMA/AJ
