[JURIST] Bangladesh and Russia signed a $12.65 billion nuclear power deal on Friday. The state-run Atomic Energy Commission [official site] collaborated with the Russian Government [official website] and Rosatom [official site] to cement the deal. Kamrul Islam Bhyian, spokesman for the Ministry of Science and Technology, [official site] stated [Reuters report] that work will begin early next year at Rooppur in Iswardi, 100 miles from Dhaka. The total loan will be cleared within 28 years with a 10 year grace period and the first plant is expected to begin production in 2022 with the second a year behind it. The life span of the reactors are estimated at 60 years with the option to extend production for an additional 20.

Bangladesh has had a long and multinational relationship [World Nuclear Association Report] with nuclear power involving multiple proposed plants and Russia, China and South Korea. The use of nuclear power in the country was first introduced and approved in 1961 and the Rooppur site was chosen in 1963 for use in prospective plants. In 1980, post independence, a plan for a 125 MWe plant was approved, but construction on the site was never initiated. In 2005 and 2008, Bangladesh publicly announced their intention to work with China on the construction of two 500 MWe nuclear reactors, neither of which were built. In 2009 [Bangladesh Embassy report], 2010 and 2011 [Library of Congress report] agreements were signed with Russia and Rosatom covering the legal groundwork to build various plants at the Roopur site.