Dhaka: In a bid to meet the demand for power in the country, Bangladesh is keen to set up a 1,000 MW nuclear power plant  in the next decade, with potential help from Russia.

According to official sources, the power plant would be set up at Rooppur, where one had previously been set up by the then East Pakistan government, for the same purpose.

Bangladesh, recently received three initial proposals to set up a nuclear power plant from three countries--- China, Russia, and South Korea. However, Russia tops the list and is eager to move ahead with the project under a bilateral agreement.

A Russian technical expert team arrived on Sunday in Bangladesh on a three-day visit, to discuss the proposed power plant project, with Bangladeshi authorities.

Prior to the team's visit, the Russian ambassador met Bangladesh's State Minister for Science and ICT, Mr. Yeafesh Osman, to discuss issues related to the project.

However, Bangladesh may face huge challenges in mobilizing funds for the project due to the current global economic crisis. The project is likely to cost USD 1.2 to USD 1.5 billion and take up to 10 years to complete.

The nuclear power plant project was initiated in Bangladesh during the previous BNP government and the caretaker government that followed expedited the process to obtain a clearance certificate from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

According to sources, the Bangladesh caretaker government received technical and financial support from the IAEA, to develop a site suitable for the plant, with the IAEA providing USD 366,000 for the site in Rooppur.

Bangladesh has also requested the IAEA to provide technical support to create trained and skilled workforce for the project, the government source said.