Science and ICT Ministry is now waiting for the go-ahead from the Prime Minister's Office to sign two agreements with Russia to advance with the conceived nuclear power-plant projects. As a follow-up move to the recent talks with a Russian expert team, the Science and ICT Ministry sent drafts of two proposed agreements to the PMO in the middle of the current month. But the drafts are yet to be back. "We've been waiting to receive a positive nod from the PMO. We sought a policy concurrence since this is a highly policy matter," a top official of the ICT ministry told UNB. Bangladesh and Russian officials earlier this April held talks in Dhaka on strengthening cooperation between the two sides for peaceful use of nuclear energy and development of nuclear-technology-related infrastructures, including power plants. During the meeting, the two sides in principal decided to sign two deals-a cooperation agreement between the two governments and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and the Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom. According to official sources, the target of the agreements is to move forward Bangladesh's plan to set up nuclear power plants to minimize the country's severe power crisis. The top officials of Bangladesh and the Russian Federation finalized the drafts of the agreements during the talks. The two-member Russian technical expert team, comprising the head of international cooperation of Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation and the head of external affairs of Russian International Relations Department, visited the country in the fist week of April. ICT Ministry officials said the Russian team would return to Dhaka middle of May to sign the proposed agreements. In the discussion between the two sides, Bangladesh presented its plan for setting up two nuclear power plants in two phases, each having 1000 MW capacity. Officials said if the ICT Ministry and Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom sign the proposed agreements, the Economic Relations Division of the Planning Ministry would explore a financer for the proposed project. A 1000 MW nuclear power plant needs huge investment, running up to USS 1.2 billion to US$ 1.5 billion. Bangladesh proposed to set up the two nuclear power plants at Rooppur site where a total of 292 acres of land was acquired by government way back in 1965 for the purpose.