Bangladesh has signed an UN treaty and protocol to control trade and use of weapons of mass destruction to become the first South and South-East Asian country to ink such a pact.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a programme at UN headquarters signed the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and a protocol on the Convention of Chemical Weapons.
Later, taking part in a discussion, the Prime Minister called for building a nuclear-weapon free world.
The UN General Assembly in 2003 adopted a resolution on ATT in 2003 to regulate international trade in conventional weapons.
Prior to Bangladesh, 82 other countries have signed this treaty.
UN Under Secretary Miguel Serpa thanked the Prime Minister for signing the treaty. Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, and Bangladesh’s permanent representative to UN A K Abdul Momen were present on the occasion among others.
After signing of the protocol, the Prime Minister took part in a high-level meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement.
In the meeting she highlighted Bangladesh’s initiative to make South Asia a nuclear-weapon free zone.
She said nuclear disarmament was must for the existence of the earth, the only human habitat.
She also urged the countries to sign the UN treaty and protocol to make Sotuh Asia and Middle-East nuclear-weapon free.
She said as a neighbour of three nuclear-power nations, Bangladesh has reason to be concerned.
“We believe, nuclear weapon cannot guarantee security and peace.”
Calling for building a nuclear-weapon free world for the coming generations, Hasina urged the world leaders to decide “weather we want to build a world that is crippled with fear of destruction or a world that is peaceful, safe and progressive.”
She said it was unfortunate that though 185 countries had opted for a nuclear-weapon free world, a handful of countries, without any concern for the majority of the countries, chose the path of destruction.
Stating that Conference on Disarmament has been non-functional for past decades, she suggested that it should develop a legal framework to tackle the use and threat of using nuclear weapons.
Source: Bd news24
