Dhaka, March 12 -- Fuel loading at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant will begin on April 7, marking a key milestone in Bangladesh's nuclear power programme, Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said on Thursday.

He said that electricity from the plant is expected to be connected to the national grid on a trial basis between June and July, adding that one unit of the project could generate around 1,200 megawatts of electricity at full capacity by December.

He made these remarks following a meeting with Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Grigoryevich Khozin at the Planning Ministry in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka city.

The minister also said Bangladesh is exploring the possibility of expanding cooperation with...