Fuel loading has begun at the first commercial nuclear power plant to be built in Bangladesh, Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom has said.

According to reports in Bangladesh, fuel loading at Rooppur-1 is expected to be completed in less than 45 days.

Rosatom said fuel loading is the first phase of the key commissioning stage of the unit. 

Later, the reactor will be brought to minimum controlled level, after which a gradual increase of power will begin. The next stage will be power startup when the generated electricity will be transmitted to the power grid of Bangladesh, Rosatom said.