Ishwardi, Pabna — November 6, 2025:
A minor fire erupted at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) site in Ishwardi on Wednesday afternoon, triggering concern but causing no damage to the plant’s reactor or critical systems, officials confirmed.
The blaze began around 12:30 pm in a pile of discarded wooden materials near the project’s storage zone. Firefighters from four nearby fire stations — including Rooppur Modern, Green City, Rooppur Temporary, and Ishwardi — responded within minutes. The fire was fully brought under control by 1:15 pm, preventing it from spreading to nearby facilities.
“No operational or reactor-related structures were affected. The situation is completely under control,” said a senior project engineer on site. “This was a fire in a non-operational storage area, and there is no cause for alarm.”
Authorities stated that the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Preliminary observations suggest that combustible waste and dry wood in an open area caught fire, possibly due to heat or a spark from nearby machinery.
The incident follows heightened scrutiny over the Rooppur project’s logistics and safety measures. In October 2025, a major fire at the Cargo Village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka destroyed several shipments of Russian-made electrical equipment intended for the nuclear plant. That earlier fire damaged about 18 tonnes of imported components, raising questions about supply-chain security and storage safety protocols.
While Wednesday’s fire was comparatively minor, energy analysts have urged the government and project operators to strengthen fire prevention, material storage, and internal monitoring systems at and around the plant site.
“The RNPP is Bangladesh’s most sensitive infrastructure project. Even a small fire incident should serve as a wake-up call for improving on-site safety culture,” said an energy policy researcher from Dhaka University.
Officials from the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) and the local administration visited the site following the incident and assured the public that there is no threat to nuclear safety or ongoing construction.
The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant — Bangladesh’s first — is being built with Russian technical and financial assistance. It will feature two VVER-1200 reactors, with the first unit expected to begin trial operations in 2026.
