Dhaka, Sept 17, 2026: Bangladesh is working to supply the first 300MW of electricity from the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to the national grid by next month, Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Khozin said on Wednesday.
Around 4,000 Russian experts and engineers are currently working on the project to resolve technical issues and expedite preparations for initial power generation, he said.
The ambassador made the remarks during a courtesy meeting with FBCCI Administrator Md Fazlul Haque at the federation’s office in Gulshan on Wednesday afternoon.
During the meeting, Khozin expressed interest in establishing a joint Russia-Bangladesh Business Council to strengthen trade, investment and economic cooperation between the two countries. He also said Russia plans to host a Russia-Bangladesh Business Forum in Moscow, with an official announcement potentially coming at the Intergovernmental Commission meeting scheduled to be held in Dhaka in early November.
The forum would facilitate direct business-to-business meetings and other sessions based on the profiles and interests of participating Bangladeshi companies.
FBCCI Administrator Fazlul Haque called for expanding bilateral trade beyond ready-made garments, highlighting pharmaceuticals, leather and leather goods, jute and jute products, ceramics and manpower exports as promising areas.
Khozin said Russia’s Ministry of Health is reviewing procedural and legal issues related to importing generic medicines from Bangladesh. He also noted strong demand in Russia for heavy footwear and leather products suitable for its cold climate.
The ambassador further said Russia had issued visas to around 3,000 Bangladeshi workers in recent months as opportunities have emerged in agriculture, fisheries, shipbuilding and services.
Separately, Sri Lankan High Commissioner Dharmapala Weerakkody met with the FBCCI administrator and invited Bangladesh to participate in Sri Lanka Expo 2027, scheduled to be held in Colombo from January 14–17 next year. Fazlul Haque responded positively to the proposal to send a Bangladeshi business delegation to the expo.
FBCCI Secretary General Md Alamgir and officials from the Russian Embassy and Sri Lankan High Commission were present at the meetings.
