Bangladesh needs to enlist allies to ensure security

Bangladesh would need to develop global alliances to address potential threats related to its peaceful use of nuclear energy, particularly in electricity generation.
It is not possible to address every aspect of potential threats related to the nuclear power development through a bilateral agreement, said Pitr Topychkanov, fellow of Carnegie Moscow Center’s Nonproliferation Programme, at a seminar on Entering the World of Nuclear Energy : Key Security Issues for Bangladesh held on Wednesday.
Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies hosted the seminar at a city hotel.

Bangladesh is building its first nuclear power plant at Rooppur, Pabna, under an inter-government agreement with Russian Federation. Russia has agreed to build two nuclear reactors for the power plant with 2,400MW capacity and also provide 90 per cent of the investment in supplier’s credit.

The government also in a move signed cooperation agreement with neighbouring India for successful commissioning and operation of the nuclear power plant.
Topychkanov, at the seminar, said that the establishments like nuclear power plants need to have arrangements to prevent attacks keeping in mind the 9/11 attack in the USA, where terrorists attacked on the US establishments with hijacked aircraft.

He also said that the transportation of nuclear fuel and spent fuel is also a target for terrorist attacks.

The authorities should consider natural threats like earthquake and also other threats like cyber attacks in building as well as operation of the power plant, he said.
Topychkanov, in his paper, also described the main processes in the nuclear fuel cycle, biggest nuclear energy disasters, reaction to the Fukushima accident, economy risks associated with nuclear energy industry and measures to enhance nuclear energy security.

Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission is scheduled to begin the main construction of Rooppur nuclear power plant in August 2017.