Dhaka, Oct 13 - Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will send a team of top officials Saturday to speed up negotiations with Russia for setting up nuclear power plants.

At her cabinet meeting Monday, she asked officials to expedite ongoing negotiations with Moscow for the country's lone power project at Rooppur in Pabna district in northern Bangladesh.

An eight-member delegation, headed by Science and Information and Communications Technology Minister Yafes Osman will visit some of the Russian nuclear plants "for having clearer ideas about that country's nuclear technology", The Daily Star said Tuesday.

Moscow has expressed its keen interest in assisting Dhaka while the latter articulated its desire to set up two 1,000 megawatt (MW) power plants.

According to a paper prepared by the science and ICT ministry, the estimated cost of a 1,000 MW nuclear power plant ranges between $1.5 billion and $2 billion.

Experts say installation of such a unit will take at least five years. If the project is realised, it will manifest the government's vision of a mid-term power solution.

Rooppur Nuclear Power Project was conceived in the early 1960s and 260 acres of land was acquired for it. Feasibility studies also found the project to be technically and economically viable, and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) gave Bangladesh the go-ahead.

Various countries including the US, India and China have shown interest in the project in the past.

The talks with the Russians were resumed this year.

Russia's Deputy Director of Rosatom Nuclear Energy State Corporation N. N. Spasskiy visited Bangladesh in the second week of May, and signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dhaka to pave the way for exchanging nuclear technology, and for setting up nuclear power plants in Bangladesh.

According to the MoU, both countries acknowledged that the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and assurance of nuclear and radiation safety are important factors in ensuring social and economic development of both states.

Moscow will assist in the development of nuclear energy infrastructure in Bangladesh, the MoU says, adding Russia will supply Bangladesh with nuclear materials, and provide services in the field of nuclear fuel cycle.