Sajeeb Wazed, the son of outgoing Prime Minister Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, termed accusations of corruption “smear campaigns” and “bogus).
The agreement of 2015 Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant was under an investigation by Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission. The grounds of the agreement were suspected financial violations. Supported by Rosatom of Russia, the $12.65 billion project includes two 1,200 megawatt power units to meet energy demands.
Furthermore, the commission has charged Hasina, Wazed, and their niece, Tulip Siddiq, with withdrawing $5 billion in money through offshore accounts.
To dismiss the charges, Rosatom stressed that it supports transparency and combating corruption as part of its global work.
The company responded to Reuters with this statement, “Rosatom is prepared to vindicate its reputation in court.”
The company termed the allegations an attempt to malign the Rooppur project. They claimed it was basically done to reduce its benefits for Bangladesh’s energy sector.
British Treasury Minister Tulip Siddiq, too, refused to speak on the allegations against her. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson confirmed Siddiq was still in her position. She still had faith in her.
Wazed said political rivals were planning a “witch hunt” against the Hasinas. They were doing it for their own political gain. The 2015 nuclear agreement was struck to develop Bangladesh’s energy capacities and improve the lives of Bangladeshis.
Rosatom, the world’s largest enriched uranium supplier, restated open procurement practices.
However, despite the allegations, the company kept on providing solutions that would improve Bangladesh’s energy infrastructure.
Prior to this, people criticized Hasina’s administration for alleged political autononmy and corruption. People were not satisfied with her political autocracy. The family has denied any wrongdoing saying that the claims are framed politically by the opponents.
Moreover, with the Rooppur nuclear project at such high stakes, observers are still keeping a careful eye on developments.
