Bangladesh and Russia have agreed not to apply the provision of 'force majeure' amid Covid-19 pandemic for the sake of timely execution of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) project.
"We have decided not to apply the 'force majeure' provision as the project works were not affected despite the pandemic," RNPP project director Md Shawkat Akbar told the FE.
He said that initially Bangladesh had requested Russia for non-execution of the provision, which was later responded positively by Russia.
Force majeure is a common clause in contracts that essentially frees both parties from liability or obligation when an extraordinary event or circumstance beyond the control of the parties prevents one or both parties from fulfilling their obligations under the contract.
Many local and international firms have already applied the provision or planning to apply it due to their losses or the adverse impacts on the businesses.
The Atomstroyexport, Russian state nuclear company Rosatom's international projects subsidiary, is the lead contractor of the country's maiden nuclear power plant at Rooppur of Ishwardi in Pabna district.
The plant is being implemented based on the Russia-Bangladesh Intergovernmental Agreement on cooperation in the area of nuclear power plant construction, signed on November 2, 2011.
The first unit of the plant is expected to be commissioned in 2023 and the second unit in 2024.
