Return of Russian vessel carrying consignment for Rooppur won’t delay project work: Minister

Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman on Thursday said that the work of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) project will not be delayed for turning away sanctioned Russian vessel ‘Ursa Major’.

The incident involving Russian vessel ‘Ursa Major’ is not good for anyone, he told reporters after the Deputy Commissioners’ Conference, 2023 at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital.

However, the work of the project will not be delayed due to the incident, he said. “It will be completed within the stipulated time, they (Russia) assured us.”

Russia’s contract with Bangladesh is that there will be no relationship with them (Russia) until the consignments reache the river port of Ruppoor, Yeafesh Osman said.

He said, “We are informed only when those reach our river port. Still, I will say that the incident that happened is not good for anyone. We have told them (Russia) that such incidents should not happen in future.”

Sanctioned Russian ship Sparta III (Ursa Major) was scheduled to dock at Mongla port in the southwestern part of the country at the end of December last year and unload cargo destined for the Rooppur NPP in Pabna.

But the authorities denied the ship permission to dock at the port after officials got a letter from the US Embassy in Dhaka saying that the ship was on a list of Russian ships sanctioned by the US.

On January 22, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said Bangladesh will not accept those Russian ships which are under sanctions, noting that Bangladesh has developed a good relationship with the United States of America (USA).

Bangladesh has conveyed to the Russian side that they can send any ship except the sanctioned 69 ships carrying equipment for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. Momen hoped that Russia would now send non-sanctioned ships carrying required materials.