Cheers, crowds greet PM on N'ganj highway

A festive atmosphere gripped the Narayanganj stretch of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway on Thursday as BNP leaders and activists gathered to welcome Prime Minister Tarique Rahman during his visit to Feni.

Since 7AM, large numbers of BNP and affiliated organisation leaders and activists took positions alongthe highway, from the Signboard area to the Meghna Toll Plaza.

The activists stood in orderly lines along one side of the highway, carrying banners bearing the slogan 'Bangladesh First,' festoons featuring the prime minister’s image and other welcome materials. They chanted slogans as they waited for the BNP chairman and prime minister to pass through the area.

A wave of excitement swept through the crowd in the Shimrail area when Tarique Rahman’s motorcade came into view. The prime minister waved to the supporters as he passed, acknowledging their greetings.

Security was tightened along the highway to maintain traffic discipline and ensure security during the prime minister’s movement. Highway and traffic police, along with other law enforcement agencies, were deployed at various points.



The shipment was originally scheduled to arrive on September 24 but was postponed despite preparations by both Russian and Bangladeshi authorities.

Sources said Pakistan had not granted permission at the time for the special cargo carrying the uranium to use its airspace. The shipment was rescheduled after the necessary clearance was obtained from Pakistan.

The uranium will be transported to Rooppur in Pabna under tight security, officials said.

A total of seven uranium shipments are expected to arrive in Bangladesh this year for the nuclear power plant.

Fuel was loaded into the first unit more than three months ago. However, the unit has yet to begin commercial power generation due to a safety issue involving a safety valve.

If the remaining work proceeds as planned, the country’s first nuclear power plant could initially generate around 200-300 megawatts of electricity by December, according to officials.