Staff Correspondent:

The authorities of the Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited (NPCBL) have dismissed 18 engineers, including the deputy chief superintendent, from the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project following a week-long unrest.

Md Jahedul Hasan, managing director of NPCBL, issued the termination orders on Thursday.

The dismissal includes 15 BSc engineers and three diploma engineers, according to official sources.

The termination letters were delivered via email to the Rooppur project site office on Friday.

Md Ruhul Kuddus, site office in-charge of the project, confirmed the development on Sunday.

“The letters instructed the engineers to vacate the project premises on Sunday,” he said.

One of the terminated employees, Hashmat Ali, who held the position of deputy chief superintendent at NPCBL and was considered a key figure in the project, also confirmed receiving the termination notice.

“I received the letter via email on Friday morning. I am currently vacating the project’s residential area, Green City. After resettling elsewhere, I will take necessary action against the sudden dismissal, which came without a clear explanation.”

The dismissals followed a prolonged period of agitation at the project site.

From April 28 to May 6, a section of NPCBL staffers staged protests, hold human chains, and rallies, reportedly demanding better service conditions.

The movement allegedly arose from grievances against the project director, according to their memorandum.

“A robust safety culture is foundational to the operation of any nuclear facility. The recent unrest at Rooppur threatens that framework and may impede project progress,” said a senior official involved with the project, requesting anonymity.

Contacted, Md Shafiqul Islam, professor at the Department of Nuclear Engineering at the University of Dhaka gave his expert opinion over the matter saying, “There are no precedents of this kind of agitation at nuclear power plants globally. Safety and security must be paramount. If the current issues are not resolved appropriately, they could lead to further complications in the plant’s operation.”

Repeated attempts by this correspondent to contact project director and NPCBL Managing Director Md Jahedul Hasan for comment went unanswered. A message sent to his WhatsApp also received no reply at the time of filing this report.