Bangladesh

 
Published: Monday 15 December 1997

The country is to go ahead with a much-delayed plan for a nuclear power plant, said officials of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission ( baec ) in Dhaka. The plan has been in the pipeline for more than 35 years. Sheikh Hasina Wajed, the Bangladeshi prime minister, gave her approval for the project to meet the country's growing demand for electricity. "The political commitment was very much required, which we got. Now we will locate sources of funds," said an official of the baec . "Suppliers are known and there are many, but funding will be crucial."

However, officials at the ministry of energy doubted the availability of foreign funding for nuclear power projects in the country. They point out that the West lacks confidence in Bangladesh's ability to run such a project safely. The World Bank ( wb ) does not favour the project, they point out. The wb is an important donor to Bangladesh's energy sector. In a recent review of the government's expenditure, it had suggested that the project should be dropped.

The wb president James Wolfensohn told the press during a recent visit to the country that the bank was unlikely to provide finance for the project. "They have great influence over other donors," said an official.

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