UNB, Dhaka :
State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid on Sunday said the Spanish nationals working in three power plants, who left Bangladesh early this month on security concerns, will come back by November 5 next.
While talking to reporters after a meeting with Spanish Ambassador in Dhaka Eduardo de Laiglesia y Del Rosal at his office, he also said punitive actions will be taken against the Spanish company, Isolux, for withdrawing its staff from the power plants violating the contract terms.
“The Spanish Ambassador has assured me that his country’s nationals will return to Bangladesh by November 5,” Nasrul Hamid said. Eduardo de Laiglesia y Del Rosal, however, did not mention any specific date in this regard. He said, “We hope they’ll be coming back soon. The security situation is improving.”
About the meeting outcome, the junior minister said the Spanish envoy has admitted that there is no security problem for foreign nationals working in power plants as those are key point installations (KPIs).
Army remains deployed at the KPIs all the time and police are also there, Nasrul added.
The junior minister further said he has informed Eduardo de Laiglesia y Del Rosal that citizens of many countries, including China, India, the USA, Canada and Australia, have been working in different power plants and no one of them left Bangladesh.
He said, Isolux was found guilty of its poor performance since the start of its work at different power plants. Now, it has violated its contract by unilaterally withdrawing the staff. “So, punitive actions will be taken against the Spanish company.”
It many be mentioned that Spanish company Isolux Ingenieria has pulled out its 41 foreign staff, including 26 Spanish nationals, from three power plant projects following an instruction issued by the Spanish Embassy in Dhaka after the killings of two foreign nationals.
All these foreign nationals left Bangladesh by October 8, leaving the activities of the power plant projects in uncertainty. According to highly placed sources, the Spanish Embassy in Dhaka first sent letters to the Power Ministry on October 5 regarding its decision to pull out its nationals working at different power plant projects.
Simultaneously, the Spanish Embassy asked the Spanish company to follow its instructions to withdraw the foreign staff from the power projects until further order.
Meanwhile, Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran called on the state minister in the morning and discussed various issues, including power import from India and Indian help in importing power from Nepal and Bhutan. The state minister informed that the Indian envoy assured him of all sorts of cooperation in development of the power sector.
State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid on Sunday said the Spanish nationals working in three power plants, who left Bangladesh early this month on security concerns, will come back by November 5 next.
While talking to reporters after a meeting with Spanish Ambassador in Dhaka Eduardo de Laiglesia y Del Rosal at his office, he also said punitive actions will be taken against the Spanish company, Isolux, for withdrawing its staff from the power plants violating the contract terms.
“The Spanish Ambassador has assured me that his country’s nationals will return to Bangladesh by November 5,” Nasrul Hamid said. Eduardo de Laiglesia y Del Rosal, however, did not mention any specific date in this regard. He said, “We hope they’ll be coming back soon. The security situation is improving.”
About the meeting outcome, the junior minister said the Spanish envoy has admitted that there is no security problem for foreign nationals working in power plants as those are key point installations (KPIs).
Army remains deployed at the KPIs all the time and police are also there, Nasrul added.
The junior minister further said he has informed Eduardo de Laiglesia y Del Rosal that citizens of many countries, including China, India, the USA, Canada and Australia, have been working in different power plants and no one of them left Bangladesh.
He said, Isolux was found guilty of its poor performance since the start of its work at different power plants. Now, it has violated its contract by unilaterally withdrawing the staff. “So, punitive actions will be taken against the Spanish company.”
It many be mentioned that Spanish company Isolux Ingenieria has pulled out its 41 foreign staff, including 26 Spanish nationals, from three power plant projects following an instruction issued by the Spanish Embassy in Dhaka after the killings of two foreign nationals.
All these foreign nationals left Bangladesh by October 8, leaving the activities of the power plant projects in uncertainty. According to highly placed sources, the Spanish Embassy in Dhaka first sent letters to the Power Ministry on October 5 regarding its decision to pull out its nationals working at different power plant projects.
Simultaneously, the Spanish Embassy asked the Spanish company to follow its instructions to withdraw the foreign staff from the power projects until further order.
Meanwhile, Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran called on the state minister in the morning and discussed various issues, including power import from India and Indian help in importing power from Nepal and Bhutan. The state minister informed that the Indian envoy assured him of all sorts of cooperation in development of the power sector.
