Pakistan blocks airspace for Russian flight carrying Bangladesh's nuclear fuel

At a time when Bangladesh has sought to rebuild ties with Pakistan, it has faced a reality check. Pakistan has blocked its airspace to a Russian flight carrying nuclear fuel for Bangladesh's Rooppur nuclear power plant. The first batch of nuclear fuel for Unit-2 of Bangladesh's first nuclear power plant was scheduled to arrive on September 24.

The timing is significant as Bangladesh is looking to begin commercial operations at its first nuclear power plant at the earliest, as it faces its worst energy crises in decades. Against this backdrop, Pakistan's denial of airspace clearance is likely to delay the delivery of nuclear fuel and, potentially, affect the plant's operational timeline.advertisement❮❯ Read Full StoryPAKISTAN DENIES AIRSPACE CLEARANCERussia's state-owned nuclear energy major Rosatom is implementing the Rooppur project and is responsible for delivery of uranium to Bangladesh.

While admitting that Pakistan did not provide the clearance, Bangladesh science and technology minister Faqir Mahbub Anam said no reason was provided by Islamabad. The Russian flight was supposed to cross Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and India before landing in Dhaka.

"The flight was not given permission to use Pakistani airspace. As of now, the exact reason for Pakistan not granting the airspace clearance is still unknown," the minister told ANI.

Bangladeshi media reports suggested that the airspace denial happened at the eleventh hour. However, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) has remained tight-lipped about which country denied the airspace permit.

Tauhidul Islam, joint secretary at the Science Ministry, said all preparations had been completed at the airport when officials were informed by Rosatom that it had not received airspace clearance.

According to a report in The Daily Star, Rosatom has now rescheduled the delivery through an alternative route. Nuclear fuel shipments for the Rooppur plant will now resume in October.

"The remaining fuel batches bound for Bangladesh will arrive by December across seven separate cargo flights," Rosatom stated, assuring Bangladesh that the project schedule won't be impacted.

The Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka cited "technical" and "procedural issues" behind the incident.

"Pakistan attaches high importance to its relations with Bangladesh. It would therefore be appropriate to view the matter in its proper technical context and not attach undue significance to reports or narratives that may seek to misplace it to undermine our bilateral relations," the Pakistani embassy said.WHY IS ROOPPUR NUCLEAR PLANT VITAL FOR BANGLADESH?

The Rooppur nuclear power project is strategically important for Bangladesh as a major part of its plan to expand reliable electricity generation. Bangladesh is among the world's major importers of electricity, with most of it being sourced from India. It is essential to keep its massive garment factories running.

The Rooppur project has already been delayed by two years due to the Covid pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.

Earlier this year, in April, Bangladesh took a major leap towards joining the nuclear power club as fuel loading began at Unit-1 of the power plant. It set the stage for the country's first nuclear-generated electricity to enter the national grid.

In August, the final phase of testing began. Preparations are underway to supply around 300 megawatts of electricity to the national grid on a trial basis in October. Commercial power generation is expected to begin in December, making Bangladesh the world's 33rd nuclear power-producing country.POWER CRISIS GRIPS BANGLADESH

For over two months now, Bangladesh has been grappling with its worst power crisis amid the prolonged Iran war and its extensive reliance on gas imports.

From load-shedding lasting 10-16 hours a day in rural areas to nurses using torches to tend to patients, the crisis has fuelled public frustration in the first major test for the Tarique Rahman-led government.

It has also forced factories producing garments, food, ceramics and pharmaceuticals to cut production.

The roots of Bangladesh's power woes go back much further. Bangladesh remains heavily dependent on natural gas-fired power plants. For this, it has increasingly relied on costly imported natural gas from Middle Eastern producers like Qatar.

The recent turmoil in the region following the US-Iran war has exposed Bangladesh's vulnerabilities to disruptions in global energy supplies. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of global energy passes, has severely hit high energy-importing nations like Bangladesh.

Against this backdrop, the early operationalisation of the Rooppur nuclear power plant is particularly important for Bangladesh to tide over its power woes and reduce dependence on imports.- Ends