TDS Desk:

A writ petition has been filed seeking an inquiry into the irregularities and corruption behind the establishment of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project.

The writ sought to know why the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) should not be directed to investigate the corruption in the setting up of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Bobby Hajjaj filed a writ petition in the relevant branch of the High Court on Tuesday (September 3).

Earlier on August 19, reports were published in various newspapers about the corruption of Sheikh Hasina and her family in the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. A writ was filed in the High Court with the addition of those reports.

The writ petition states that it is learned from the news published in the local and foreign media that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Sheikh Rehana, and Tulip Siddiq, along with the Awami League government, embezzled and smuggled more than $5 billion from the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project. However, the ACC did not take any action despite requesting to investigate the matter.

The writ is likely to be heard in a High Court bench comprising Justice AKM Asaduzzaman.

Meanwhile, Global Defense Corp’s report titled “Ousted Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Her Son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and Niece Tulip Siddiq Embezzled 5 Billion Dollars From Overpriced 12.65 Billion Dollars Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Through Malaysian Banks”, said that “Russia’s Rosatom, the project implementing agency, has allowed Sheikh Hasina to embezzle this money through Malaysia’s bank. It was mediated by son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and niece Tulip Siddiq”.

It is said that the implementation of the long-cherished dream of a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh began in 2017. Sheikh Hasina started the construction of the main building of the power plant. This power plant is expected to supply up to 20 percent of the country’s electricity in the near future. Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is expected to generate 2400-MW of electricity by 2024 using two VVER units. This will surely help a lot in meeting the growing electricity demand in Bangladesh.

Sheikh Hasina and her family members embezzled more than $5 billion to buy Soviet-era nuclear reactors from Russia’s state-run Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) under the guise of “positive media coverage”.

Its construction cost is estimated to be $12.65 billion. With this, Russia helped former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to secretly transfer $5 billion to various banks in Malaysia. The money came from Russian special funds in those banks in Malaysia.

After receiving the complaint, Rosatom said in a message on August 19 that they are ready to resort to court to protect the reputation and interests of the organization.