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Download PDF Pakistani High Commissioner to Bangladesh Alamgir Babar said yesterday that his country is ready to share nuclear technology for civilian purposes with Bangladesh, to help tackle the country’s massive energy crisis.
Babar said Pakistan’s offer is on the table and Bangladesh has to decide whether the country wants to discuss it.
Foreign Adviser Iftekhar A Chowdhury has already discussed nuclear energy cooperation with Russia and China after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently cleared Bangladesh to use nuclear power for civilian use as energy.
“We have a programme for nuclear energy. We are going ahead with that. It is up to Bangladesh to decide what they want,” Babar told a press meeting organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at the National Press Club yesterday.
He said the discussions could take place within the parameters of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) even though Pakistan is not part of it. Bangladesh is signatory to NPT.
Babar added that Pakistan has the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy.
The envoy has meanwhile reiterated calls for the two countries to sign a Free Trade Agreement to improve on the US$ 300 million in bilateral trade.
He said an absence of direct shipping lines between the two countries has been discouraging business communities on both sides.
The Pak envoy also mentioned that Bangladesh’s Army Chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed is likely to visit Pakistan soon.
Pressed on why Dhaka and Islamabad have not sorted out divided assets and repatriation since 1971, Babar told reporters that he said the repatriation issue has largely been solved but sharing of pre-1971 assets is far more complicated and currently under discussion.
Babar lauded Saturday’s High Court decision giving voting rights to Biharis in Bangladesh.
There around two to three million Bengalis still living in Pakistan at present.
May 20th, 2008 at 7:32 am
Bangladesh should rather share technology with EU countries like Germany and France. We must not adopt cheap technology. Bangladesh must go for most sophisticated and the safest nuke. One blemish will kill half of its population.