Bangladesh nuclear plant payments held up by Russia sanctions

DHAKA -- Bangladesh is looking for ways to unclog payments for a Russian-backed nuclear power plant still under construction, as Moscow has been barred from much of the international banking system and Dhaka is struggling with declining foreign reserves.

The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, about 140 kilometers west of the Bangladeshi capital, is the South Asian nation's biggest infrastructure project to date and a vital part of plans to move away from coal and other fossil fuels. Once fully online, the facility would be capable of generating 2,400 megawatts -- enough for 15 million households in a country that often struggles to keep the lights on.