Science & Tech Minister Holds Bilateral Meeting with IAEA Director General
Bangladesh Seeks IAEA Assistance to Grid-Connect Rooppur Nuclear Power
- Minister Faqir Mahtab Anam holds bilateral talks with IAEA Chief Rafael Mariano Grossi in Vienna
- Technical backing requested for rapid national grid integration of Rooppur Nuclear Power Station
- One-stop cancer care center planned under IAEA's flagship 'Rays of Hope' initiative in Bangladesh
Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahtab Anam led a Bangladeshi delegation in a high-level bilateral meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi at the IAEA Headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on Thursday (September 17). The discussions centered on expediting the national grid integration of electricity from the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP), bolstering nuclear safety, and expanding peaceful applications of nuclear technology.
Highlighting the recent fuel loading at Unit-1 of RNPP, the Minister noted Bangladesh's transition toward clean, carbon-free energy to fulfill growing power demands. He referred to the signing of the Country Programme Framework (CPF) for 2026–2032, emphasizing that Bangladesh remains the first South Asian nation to join the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and Radioactive Waste Management.
Minister Anam expressed gratitude to the IAEA Chief for integrating Bangladesh into the 'Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All' initiative in 2025, detailing plans to set up a comprehensive one-stop cancer care facility in the country. He also noted Bangladesh's anticipation of the upcoming IAEA–WHO–IMPACT Review Mission scheduled for November 2026 to evaluate national cancer control readiness.
The meeting was attended by Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology Md. Anwar Hossain, Bangladesh Ambassador to Austria Towhid Hasan, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Dr. M. Moinul Islam, and Joint Secretary Sheikh Muhammad Tauhidul Islam.
//DBTech/AAM/SME/MIST//
