Uranium Shipment for Bangladesh Nuclear Plant Delayed by Pakistan Airspace Denial

• •Uranium shipment for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant delayed due to Pakistan's airspace denial.
• •New arrival date proposed for early October, pending airspace clearance.
• •Rooppur is Bangladesh's first nuclear facility, with two reactors planned.

The uranium shipment for Unit 2 of Bangladesh's Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant was scheduled to arrive on September 24, 2026, but was delayed after Pakistan denied airspace clearance. Bangladesh's Minister for Science and Technology, Faqir Mahbub Anam, confirmed the flight was halted due to the lack of permission, and the exact reasons for this denial remain unclear. A new arrival date has been proposed for the first week of October, as communicated by Russia's Rosatom, which is assisting in the plant's construction. Preparations for the shipment were completed in Dhaka, but officials were unable to proceed without the necessary airspace clearance. The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is Bangladesh's first nuclear facility, featuring two VVER-1200 reactor units that will generate a total of 2,400 megawatts of electricity. The first unit's uranium shipment had previously arrived in 2023 without incident. The current situation is under investigation, and Rosatom has not yet responded to inquiries about the airspace issue.