UNB, Dhaka :Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman on Thursday said electricity generation with nuclear power can play a major role in changing the country’s economy and people’s lifestyle.”Nuclear power generation will play a big role in boosting the economy as well as improving the living standard of people,” he said. The minister was addressing a seminar on nuclear power technology at the Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) at city’s Mirpur Cantonment.MIST organised the seminar, titled ‘Nuclear Energy in Bangladesh and Safety Issues’. It was addressed, among others, by Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission member Mahmudul Hasan, MIST commandant Maj Gen Siddiqur Rahman Sarker, and Rooppur Nuclear Power Project director Dr. Mohammad Shawkat Akbar.The Science and Technology Minister claimed that the nuclear power involves very low fuel cost compared to the fossil fuel plants. “As clean energy, nuclear power will help protect the environment from pollution,” he added. Established in 1998, MIST introduced Nuclear Science and Engineering Department (NCED) as the first ever such academic facility in the country in February this year.Welcoming the move by the military academy, Yeafesh Osman hoped that this institute will play a vital role in meeting the country’s requirement of nuclear scientists and experts to deal with the proposed Rooppur nuclear power plant project.He said, the government considers nuclear technology as one of the tools to achieve the vision 2021. To materialise this vision, the energy security is assumed as a critical issue and Bangladesh gives importance to include ‘nuclear energy’ in the overall energy mix. “That’s why, implementation of Rooppur Nuclear Power Project has become inevitable,” he said. In implementing NPP, Bangladesh is giving top priority to the issues of radiological protection, nuclear safety and security. “Bangladesh is committed to strictly following the guidelines as contained in the milestone document of the IAEA in all the phases of implementation of the NPP.” It was told at the seminar that 30 countries are currently operating 438 nuclear reactors for electricity generation, while 67 new nuclear plants are under construction in 15 countries.
