The interim government’s Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved an additional Tk 25,592 crore for the Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant project, raising its total cost from Tk 113,092 crore to Tk 138,685 crore. The decision was made at ECNEC’s final meeting before the upcoming national election, chaired by Chief Adviser and ECNEC Chairperson Dr. Muhammad Yunus at the NEC Conference Room in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka. Planning Adviser Dr. Wahiduddin Mahmud said the entire cost increase will be financed through project loans.

According to the Planning Ministry, the revised Development Project Proposal (DPP) recommends a 22.63 percent cost increase and extends the project deadline from 2024 to June 2028. The government’s direct funding share has been reduced by Tk 166 crore to Tk 21,886 crore, while project loans have risen to Tk 116,799 crore. Implemented with Russian cooperation, the plant aims to generate 2,400 megawatts of electricity from two units with a 60-year lifespan, extendable by 20 years.

The ECNEC meeting also approved 25 projects worth Tk 45,191 crore, including a 1,000-bed Bangladesh-China Friendship General Hospital and several infrastructure, transport, and environmental initiatives.