Dhaka, April 28 -- Fuel (uranium) loading has begun at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Pabna's Ishurdi Upazila.

The loading officially began at the first unit of the plant after 3:30pm on Tuesday, said Ruhul Quddus, the official in charge of the project.

The step paves the way for the start of experimental production at the country's first nuclear power plant.

Shawkat Akbar, former project director and former chairman of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, described the phase as a historic milestone and the most important stage of the project.

According to him, through the fuel loading, the plant is entering the main stage of electricity production.

In scientific terms, this is called "first criticality", where the sustained ...