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By Shamshur Nahar Khan, Dhaka Last updated Oct 3, 2020
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen has said chasing sustainable development goals was more important than investing in nuclear weapons to establish and sustain global peace and stability.
Momen told Easternlink that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged for a freeze on the nuclear arms race among nations and stressed on mitigating the risk of nuclear weapons falling in the hands of the terrorists.
Hasina wants establishment of nuclear-weapon-free-zones in all parts of the world to foster effective international cooperation to leverage peaceful use of nuclear technology for the benefit of humankind, Momen said.
Momen mentioned that Bangladesh's steadfast commitment and adherence to nuclear disarmament stems from the historic speech delivered by the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the UN General Assembly in 1974, in which he appealed to spare the world from the scourge of nuclear war.
Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen mentioned this in his recorded statement delivered at the High-Level Plenary Meeting of the UN General Assembly to Commemorate and Promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on Friday.
Dr. Momen said that shaken by the horrors of the devastation of nuclear weapons in the second world war, the UN had envisioned a world free of nuclear weapons in the very first resolution it adopted.
Unfortunately, the vision of a nuclear-free world has not been realized even after 75 years of the UN's founding as our present and future generations continue to live under the threat of nuclear catastrophe.
Underscoring that Bangladesh is a party to all major nuclear disarmament treaties and among the 44 countries that have ratified the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, B'desh Foreign Minister assured that Bangladesh rejects the use of nuclear technology for destructive purposes but supports its peaceful application for development and welfare of humankind.
Bangladesh is indeed harnessing the benefit of nuclear technology to build the country's first nuclear power plant for generating electricity.
Dr. Momen highlighted 6 specific points to realize the universal goal of a nuclear-free world. His proposal included, among others, an urge to cease the nuclear arms race among nations and to get rid of the risk of nuclear weapons falling in the hands of the terrorists; the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free-zones in all parts of the world; and fostering effective international cooperation to leverage peaceful use of nuclear technology for the benefit of humankind.
B'desh Foreign Minister maintained that the pandemic Covid-19 has shown that the stockpiles of weapons neither secure humanity nor ensure peace.
On the momentous occasion of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, the world's scarce resources should, therefore, be invested for realizing sustainable development goals to make the world safe and livable for succeeding generations, Dr. Momen continued.
B'desh FM Momen concluded his video statement mentioning that, "Total elimination of the nuclear weapons is the long over-due commitment."
Shamshur Nahar Khan, Dhaka 2125 posts 381 comments
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