Tarique Rahman's claim that 'a similar neighbouring country nuclear project cost only Tk 14,000 crore' is Misleading

What was claimed?

Tarique Rahman, on Monday 11 May 2026, at the Prime Minister's Office in Tejgaon, Dhaka, during a meeting with senior police officers on the occasion of National Police Week 2026, said:

"While a similar project in a neighbouring country cost only Tk 14,000 crore, the cost shown for Rooppur is Tk 1 lakh 14 thousand crore."

The statement was shared widely on social media as a BanglaNews24.com photocard and was reported by multiple national outlets including Jugantor.

Verdict: Misleading — Why?

The original contracted cost of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant was approximately Tk 1,13,920 crore ($12.65 billion) ^[1] — close to Tarique Rahman's cited figure of "Tk 1 lakh 14 thousand crore". However, the part of the claim that says "a similar project in a neighbouring country cost only Tk 14,000 crore" does not match reality.

1. No nuclear project in the world has been built for Tk 14,000 crore. Tk 14,000 crore equals approximately $1.15-1.27 billion — far below the cost of any modern nuclear power plant. If by "neighbouring country" Tarique Rahman means India, India's Kudankulam Units 1 & 2 (older VVER-1000 technology, two 1,000 MW units = 2,000 MW total) alone cost ₹22,462 crore = $4.76 billion = approximately Tk 57,000 crore at current rates ^[2] — four times the figure cited. Kudankulam Units 5 & 6 are estimated at ₹50,000 crore (~Tk 60-70 thousand crore at current rates) ^[3].

2. Comparing two different generations of technology — an unfair comparison. All Kudankulam units use VVER-1000 (Generation II+, 2002 design) technology. Rooppur's two units use VVER-1200 (Generation III+) — a more advanced design with post-Fukushima safety upgrades, passive safety systems, double containment, core catcher. Capacity is also 20% higher (1,200 MW vs 1,000 MW per unit).

3. The Vietnam VVER-1200 project — same technology — costs significantly more than Rooppur. Russia signed a contract with Vietnam in 2025-26 for the Ninh Thuan-1 nuclear power plant (two VVER-1200 units, the same technology as Rooppur). According to the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), the estimated cost is at least $22 billion (~Tk 1,67,000 crore) ^[4] — meaning the same-technology Vietnamese project is approximately 75% MORE expensive than Bangladesh's Rooppur. This proves Rooppur's cost is competitive — even cheap — by global VVER-1200 standards.

4. Among foreign VVER-1200 projects, Rooppur's per-kilowatt cost is competitive:

Sources: World Nuclear Association ^[5], RIAC ^[4]

Rooppur's per-kilowatt cost ($5,270) is in line with all VVER-1200 projects globally — even cheaper than Vietnam, Egypt, and Hungary — and 2-3 times cheaper than Western projects like Vogtle, Hinkley Point C, and Flamanville.

5. Five legitimate reasons Rooppur cost what it did:

• Modern Gen III+ technology: VVER-1200 is safer and more advanced than older VVER-1000, but naturally more expensive.
• First-of-a-kind premium: As Bangladesh's first nuclear power plant, the project bore the full cost of building the BAERA regulator, training operators, security infrastructure, and lacking any domestic supply chain. Research shows this FOAK premium typically adds 15-100% to costs ^[6].
• Export premium: VVER-1200 inside Russia costs $2,271/kW. Exported, it costs $5,000-6,000/kW — covering currency risk, transport, local labour, import duties, and training. Turkey, Egypt, Hungary, Belarus, and Vietnam — all have paid this premium ^[7].
• Padma riverbank geotechnics: Construction at Ishwardi, Pabna required additional soil stabilisation, foundation reinforcement, seismic engineering, and four natural-draft cooling towers.
• Concessional Russian financing — a benefit, not a cost: Russia financed 90% of the project ($11.38 billion) at LIBOR + 1.75%, capped at 4%, with a 28-year repayment term and 10-year grace period ^[8]. This is among the cheapest sovereign infrastructure debt available globally and substantially lowers Rooppur's lifetime electricity cost.

6. The Awami League government had legitimate economic reasons for cost-increase approvals. The original $12.65 billion (~Tk 1,01,200 crore) contract was signed in 2015. Subsequent cost increases were driven by three global and local factors beyond any government's control:

• Taka depreciation: At contract signing, the taka was Tk 80/USD; today it is Tk 122/USD. Exchange-rate adjustment alone added Tk 26,181 crore to the cost ^[9].
• Russia-Ukraine war supply chain disruption: Since 2022, raw materials, transport, and specialised equipment costs have all risen.
• 8-9 year project timeline: For any large infrastructure project of this duration, time-related cost increases are normal.

For these reasons, the Awami League government approved cost increases through ECNEC — these were not the result of corruption, but a response to real economic pressures in project management. Notably, the subsequent Yunus-led interim government also approved similar cost increases in 2025-26 — for the same reasons.

7. In the same speech, Tarique Rahman's other comparisons were similarly inflated:

The Bhupen Hazarika Setu (in India's Assam) was built in 2017 for just ₹1,000 crore (~Tk 1,250-1,500 crore at current rates) ^[10] — about 10 times less than Tarique Rahman's cited "Tk 14-15 thousand crore". The actual cost of Padma Bridge is Tk 30,193 crore ^[11] — about 80% less than the "Tk 54-56 thousand crore" he cited.

The pattern is clear: inflate the cost of Awami League-era projects, deflate the cost of comparable neighbouring country projects — this is not honest economic analysis.

Data Analysis

Russian Ambassador to Dhaka explained: Rooppur-Kudankulam comparison doesn't apply

The then-Russian Ambassador to Dhaka, Alexander Mantytskiy, told reporters at a press conference at the Russian Embassy (20 December 2023): "The nuclear power plant in India has a capacity of 1,000 megawatts, while Rooppur has 1,200 megawatts. Moreover, conditions here are not similar. It is on the bank of the River Padma — which can change its course at any time. It is a tremendous project — emission-free, pollution-free" ^[12]. Reporters had directly asked why Rooppur cost is roughly 5 times more than India's Kudankulam-1 and 2 — and the Ambassador's response made clear that the two projects are not comparable.

Rosatom CEO's response (April 2026)

Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev, in a press release after his meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on 28 April 2026, said:

"Nuclear cooperation between Russia and Bangladesh is a shining example of a strategic partnership based on trust, mutual respect, and a commitment to technological advancement" ^[13].

Rosatom made it clear that Rooppur's VVER-1200 is a Generation III+ evolutionary design that fully complies with international safety standards. Six VVER-1200 units are already operational — four in Russia and two in Belarus. More are under construction in Egypt, Hungary, Turkey, China, and Vietnam. All of these global projects have had comparable or higher costs. In other words, Rooppur's cost is normal — not excessive — by global standards.

Independent expert analysis: Rooppur's cost is reasonable globally

In an analysis published on 2 May 2026, the Bangladeshi YouTube channel Public Sentiment featured an independent energy expert who explained in detail why Rooppur's cost aligns with global benchmarks:

"What's happening in Bangladesh is roughly $12.5 billion, and it might roughly go up to $14 billion. Because the project has been going on for 8-9 years, and the Bangladesh taka has depreciated against the dollar. Where the latest contract using the same VVER-1200 configuration has been signed in Vietnam — and it's estimated to cost at least $22 billion, far more than Bangladesh."

The expert also explained why Bangladesh's cost is comparatively higher but not unjustified:

"If made with the same technology in China or India, the cost would be lower. China is the world's largest manufacturing hub — it has a strong back-end. Bangladesh produces nothing, knows nothing about this technology. The entire technology comes from Russia — they provide all the equipment, and the training too has to come from outside. That's why our cost is higher. Vietnam also doesn't have its own [domestic supply chain] — that's why Vietnam's cost is similar to or higher than Bangladesh's."

Per-MW cost comparison provided by the expert:

The expert's conclusion: "Although nuclear power projects involve a lot of upfront cost, the main thing is the per-megawatt cost. How many people will this plant serve, for how long, and what will the per-capita cost be?"

The expert also pointed out that Bangladesh's current electricity production cost is ~Tk 12/kWh, while the government sells at Tk 8.5-9 (at a loss). Nuclear electricity from Rooppur is expected to cost Tk 4.5-8/kWh — far below the current average. This means despite the high upfront cost, Rooppur will reduce lifetime electricity costs.

Bournemouth-NSU research: Actual cost gap is ~2x, not 8x

A joint study by Bournemouth University and North South University researchers found that Rooppur's electricity generation cost is ~9.36 cents/kWh, vs Kudankulam's ~5.36 cents/kWh. That is, the actual cost gap is roughly 75% higher / ~2x in capital cost ^[14] — nowhere close to the 8x gap implied by Tarique Rahman. Even this ~2x gap is fully explained by the different generation technology, FOAK premium, and Padma riverbank geotechnics.

Conclusion

While the total Rooppur cost figure (~Tk 1,14,000 crore) cited by Tarique Rahman is approximately correct, his comparison that "a similar project in a neighbouring country cost only Tk 14,000 crore" is misleading. No nuclear power plant in the world has been built for that price; India's Kudankulam Units 1 & 2 (older technology, smaller capacity) actually cost about 4 times more. The recent Russia-Vietnam VVER-1200 contract is estimated at $22 billion (Tk 1,67,000 crore) — about 75% more expensive than Rooppur — clearly proving that Rooppur's cost is competitive, even cheap, by global standards. Rooppur's per-kW cost ($5,270) is in line with all other VVER-1200 projects globally and 2-3 times cheaper than Western projects. Russian Ambassador Mantytskiy in Dhaka, Rosatom Director General Likhachev, and an independent Bangladeshi energy expert have all confirmed that Rooppur's VVER-1200 is modern Generation III+ technology, with cost consistent with global projects of the same standard. The Awami League government had legitimate economic reasons for approving cost increases — taka depreciation, the Russia-Ukraine war, and Padma riverbank geotechnics — and the subsequent interim government approved similar increases for the same reasons. According to Bournemouth-NSU research, the actual cost gap with Kudankulam is ~2x, not 8x. Notably, Rooppur's nuclear electricity output is expected to cost Tk 4.5-8/kWh — far below Bangladesh's current average production cost of ~Tk 12 — and will lower lifetime electricity costs. In the same speech, Tarique Rahman's parallel comparisons of the Bhupen Hazarika Setu (10x inflated) and the Padma Bridge (~80% inflated) were similarly distorted — marking the Rooppur comparison not as an isolated error, but as part of a consistent political pattern.