Amidst a Political Imbroglio: What’s Next for Bangladesh’s Nuclear Energy Dreams?29 Aug 2024 07:43
Bit of info on the potential political landscape post cuckoo parliament…..China is not going to let this go imho….too much invested
“A more likely scenario is that an alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami parties will come to power after elections. The BNP, vocally critical of Rooppur, had previously bogged down the negotiations of the project in 2001. If such a government comes to power, the continuation of Sheikh Hasina’s legacy projects like Rooppur with allies such as Russia and India will come under fire from the traditionally China-favoring BNP and its leader Khaleda Zia. Beijing, too, views Bangladesh as a critical node in the BRI. Having invested in projects like the Chittagong port expansion, China is likely to support a stable government to ensure the continuation of its projects and maintain its influence, dodging Russian presence in this backyard. Having recently secured a contract to construct a gamma irradiation facility at the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture through a subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corporation, Beijing is looking to deepen its influence in varied aspects of the nuclear realm in the region. Washington, given its renewed focus on the Indo-Pacific region as part of competition with China, might also see an opportunity to strengthen ties with a BNP-led government through energy cooperation and potentially offer support for renewable energy initiatives or other critical infrastructure projects”
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