The Bangladeshi government has signed the country's biggest ever contract worth 12.65 billion U.S. dollars with a Russian state-run company to build a nuclear power plant with a generation capacity of 2,400 megawatts of electricity.

Md Monirul Islam, chairman of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, and VN Savushkin, senior vice president of Russian Atomstroyexport, a contractor appointed by the Russian state atomic corporation Rosatom, inked the contract on behalf of their respective sides here in capital Dhaka on Friday.

Bangladesh's cabinet committee on purchase with Finance Minister AMA Muhith in the chair okayed the nuclear plant proposal on Wednesday.

Of the 12.65 billion U.S. dollars, the Russian government would provide 12 billion U.S. dollars as loan.

Officials say it is part of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina government's vision to produce 20,000 megawatts of power by 2021.

The proposed nuclear power plant will be constructed at Rooppur in the country's Pabna district, 216 km west of the capital Dhaka.

Source: Xinhua News Agency