Bangladesh has entered the global nuclear energy community with the completion of the first power unit at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, the country's first nuclear facility.
The milestone was highlighted by Andrey Timonov, Director of the Communications Department of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, during a plenary session titled "Russia's Image in International Media" held on Wednesday (September 16) as part of the ‘Media Stream’ program at the International Festival of Youth (IFY‑2026) in Yekaterinburg.
"Rosatom stands at the forefront of global nuclear technology, delivering world‑class solutions at every stage of the production cycle — a position reinforced by our extensive international footprint. This year, Rosatom has completed the construction of the first power unit in the People's Republic of Bangladesh, together with our Bangladeshi partners. Commissioning operations at the unit began this summer,” said Timonov.
“We are witnessing the emergence of a new nuclear power, in the peaceful sense of this word. The project is designed not only to address the country's energy needs, but also to give a powerful impetus for its further development, to enable the Republic to complete the journey of technological development in years rather than decades, as has been the case in other countries," he said.
Speaking with visible warmth about his frequent visits to Bangladesh, Timonov described a country undergoing profound transformation.
"I have visited Bangladesh many times, and I am completely captivated by it — the beautiful nature, the wonderful people. Of course, the country is developing. Of course, the country has a very complex history, he said.
“Just ten years ago, there could be no talk of nuclear energy in their country. And today we welcome it as a new nuclear power,” Timonov said.
He described a remarkable phenomenon visible across Bangladesh — a deep public affection for the nuclear plant
“A growing number of young people are eager to pursue nuclear education — both in Russia and right here in Bangladesh," he said.
Timonov said the vision of a nuclear Bangladesh dates back decades. "For the first time, the idea of building a nuclear power plant in the republic was raised back in the days of the Soviet Union, when the then‑head of the Republic approached Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev with this request. And what is this country actually doing now? It is not simply closing its energy deficit — it is attempting, with the help of a nuclear power plant, to do very quickly what took other countries 60 to 80 years: to make a giant, colossal leap in its development."
"We went there, it seemed, to build a power plant — but in reality, we built a symbol of national pride. We built an object that the entire country is proud of," Timonov emphasised.
The International Festival of Youth (IFY‑2026) took place in Yekaterinburg from September 11 to 17 under the motto "Follow Your Dream." The festival drew over 113,000 applications from around the world and welcomed 10,000 participants from 191 countries. Bangladesh was strongly represented, with around 90 delegates joining the event, said a press release.
The headline of this story has been edited. Also the word 'officially' has been removed from the intro for more clarity.