The corruption probe into Bangladesh’s Russian-built Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) has sparked controversy not just for its allegations but for the broader geopolitical agenda it seemingly serves. Claims that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her relatives siphoned off $5 billion from the $12.65 billion project—financed 90% by Russian loans—are being viewed as a tool to discredit Russia’s nuclear diplomacy. Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear energy corporation behind the RNPP, has firmly denied these accusations, calling them an attempt to undermine the project and tarnish its reputation.
Rosatom has stressed its commitment to transparency, citing external audits and open procurement systems as evidence of its integrity. Yet the allegations persist, driven by the new U.S.-backed government in Bangladesh. This raises parallels with the U.S.’s earlier targeting of India’s Adani Group, another significant player in global infrastructure and energy markets. Both cases reveal how economic influence is weaponized in geopolitical power struggles.
Weaponizing Corruption Allegations: RNPP and Rosatom
The RNPP project, designed to provide affordable energy and bolster Bangladesh’s development, has become a geopolitical chess piece. The current government in Dhaka, installed with U.S. backing after a Color Revolution, appears indebted to its Western patrons. The corruption probe serves multiple strategic objectives: discrediting Sheikh Hasina’s legacy, undermining Russia’s global standing, potentially defaulting on Bangladesh’s financial obligations to Russia, and giving U.S. and Western nuclear companies a competitive edge over Rosatom.
The West’s discomfort with Rosatom’s dominance in global nuclear energy markets is well-documented. Offering preferential terms and long-term support to partner countries, Rosatom represents a challenge to Western nuclear companies, which often propose less favorable contracts. By associating Rosatom with corruption through the RNPP case, the U.S. seeks to create a precedent that deters other countries from engaging with the Russian company.
The Adani Parallel: U.S. Targeting of India’s Economic Powerhouse
The targeting of Bangladesh’s RNPP echoes the U.S.’s approach toward India’s Adani Group, one of the country’s most influential infrastructure conglomerates. The Adani Group, like Rosatom, operates at the nexus of national development and global markets. However, its rapid growth and influence have made it a focal point of criticism from Western financial institutions and think tanks, many of which accuse the group of opaque business practices.
The Hindenburg Research report earlier this year alleged widespread fraud and stock manipulation by Adani, causing a sharp decline in the company’s valuation. While the claims were framed as concerns about corporate governance, many viewed them as part of a broader attempt to weaken India’s strategic autonomy. By targeting Adani, a company closely aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development agenda, the U.S. signaled discomfort with India’s growing influence and its refusal to align fully with Western interests.
A Common Playbook
Both the RNPP and Adani cases illustrate a common Western playbook: using allegations of corruption and governance failures to undermine economic entities that challenge U.S. interests. In Bangladesh, the RNPP probe is aimed at discrediting Russia’s nuclear diplomacy, which offers developing nations an alternative to Western-led energy solutions. In India, the Adani controversy sought to question the legitimacy of a company pivotal to the country’s infrastructure growth and energy security.
These tactics are not limited to economic warfare. They are part of a broader strategy to influence political narratives, destabilize governments or key players, and reshape global markets to favor Western interests. By leveraging media campaigns, think tanks, and NGOs, the U.S. creates a perception of wrongdoing that pressures governments and corporations into alignment with its strategic goals.
Implications for Bangladesh and India
The RNPP probe threatens to derail a project vital to Bangladesh’s energy future. By jeopardizing this initiative, the U.S.-backed government risks harming the country’s development while advancing a foreign agenda. Similarly, the Adani case had implications far beyond corporate governance; it tested India’s resilience against external pressures seeking to undermine its economic sovereignty.
Both countries face a critical choice: to resist external narratives and prioritize their national interests or to succumb to pressures that compromise their autonomy. Bangladesh’s RNPP is not just an energy project; it is a symbol of the nation’s aspiration for affordable power and sustainable growth. India’s Adani Group, despite its controversies, represents the backbone of the country’s infrastructure ambitions.
The targeting of Bangladesh’s RNPP and India’s Adani Group underscores a broader geopolitical contest where economic influence and corporate reputation are wielded as weapons. For Bangladesh, abandoning the RNPP under the guise of a corruption probe would jeopardize its energy future and national development. For India, succumbing to external pressures against Adani would weaken its strategic autonomy and economic resilience.
Both nations must navigate these challenges carefully, recognizing that these campaigns are not just about governance or corruption but about shaping the global balance of power. By standing firm, they can assert their sovereignty and ensure that their development trajectories remain aligned with their national interests, not the agendas of external powers.
