Bangladesh seeks IAEA help to expedite Rooppur power supply to national grid
Faqir Mahbub Anam made the request during a bilateral meeting with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in Vienna.
Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam has sought cooperation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to expedite the supply of electricity generated by the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to Bangladesh's national grid.
He made the request during a bilateral meeting with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi at the agency's headquarters in Vienna, Austria, today (17 September), according to a ministry press release.
The meeting discussed Rooppur's power generation, the peaceful uses of nuclear technology, nuclear safety and security, and broader cooperation between Bangladesh and the IAEA, according to a press release from the Ministry of Science and Technology.
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The minister described the Rooppur plant as a historic milestone for Bangladesh's energy security and said the country had made significant progress towards carbon-free electricity generation with fuel loading completed in Unit-1.
He said the project would help meet growing electricity demand, strengthen energy security and contribute to efforts to address climate change.
Anam reaffirmed Bangladesh's commitment to maintaining the highest international standards in nuclear safety, security and responsible management of nuclear technology.
He also highlighted Bangladesh's more than five decades of technical cooperation with the IAEA in healthcare, agriculture, food, water management, industry and energy.
Bangladesh recently signed its Country Programme Framework for 2026–2032, which the minister said would open up new opportunities for technical cooperation with the agency.
The two sides also discussed cooperation in healthcare, particularly through the IAEA's "Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All" initiative.
Bangladesh joined the initiative in 2025 and is working with the IAEA to establish an integrated, one-stop cancer care centre, the minister said.
Anam also sought expanded opportunities for education, training, fellowships and joint research for Bangladeshi students, scientists and researchers.
He said Bangladesh was looking forward to the IAEA–WHO–IMPACT Review Mission scheduled for November 2026, which would assess the country's national cancer control capacity and identify practical priorities for improving cancer care.
The minister called for deeper international cooperation through the IAEA to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear technology, strengthen nuclear safety and support sustainable development.
