Dhaka, September 03- A writ has been filed in the High Court seeking an investigation into alleged corruption involving the under-construction Rooppur nuclear power plant. The writ was filed on Tuesday by Bobby Hajjaz, Chairman of the National Democratic Movement Alliance (NDMA), who claims that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has failed to act on the allegations.

Hajjaz stated that the NDMA had previously appealed to the ACC to investigate potential corruption within the Rooppur project. However, the ACC has not taken any concrete steps, prompting them to approach the High Court for intervention.

The Rooppur nuclear power plant, the first of its kind in Bangladesh, is being constructed in Pabna at an estimated cost of around $13 billion USD. The project, being developed by the Russian state corporation Rosatom, is set to have a capacity of 2,400 MW. However, the substantial construction costs have raised concerns and allegations of financial misconduct from the very beginning.

A report published by Global Defense Corp on August 17 alleged that the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family members were involved in embezzling over $5 billion USD from the Rooppur project. The report suggested that the funds were misappropriated through the purchase of Soviet-era nuclear reactors from Rosatom and were transferred from Russian slush funds in Malaysian banks to various international accounts. It also mentioned the involvement of Sheikh Hasina's son, Sajib Wazed Joy, and her niece, Tulip Siddiqui, in facilitating these transactions.

However, these allegations have been strongly denied by Rosatom and Russian officials. Alexander Mantitsky, the Russian ambassador to Bangladesh, dismissed the reports as "rumours and lies." He stated, "I feel free to say that these are rumours and lies. Our company, Rosatom, has already made a statement in this regard."

As the case proceeds in the High Court, the call for a thorough investigation continues to gain momentum, with demands for transparency and accountability in the handling of one of the country's most significant infrastructure projects.