New York, Broadcasting News Corporation : “We hope that the 10th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) would produce an outcome that would facilitate the universality and implementation of the Treaty to make the world free from the threat of nuclear weapons”, said the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, Dr. A K Abdul Momen, MP. He was speaking at the 10th NPT Review Conference held at the UNGA Hall in the UN Headquarters, monday. Referring to the clarion call to emancipate the world from the scourge of nuclear war, made by the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in his historic maiden speech at the UN General Assembly in 1974, Dr. Momen said, “That forms the cornerstone of Bangladesh’s total and unwavering commitment to general and complete disarmament of nuclear weapons which is also a constitutional obligation of Bangladesh”. The Foreign Minister urged to the international community to unite against the perpetual holding of nuclear weapons by a handful of states in total disregard of the safety and security of humanity. Dr. Momen reiterated Bangladesh’s support to the effective implementation of the NPT through its three pillars -nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. In this regard, he emphasized on the non-discriminatory implementation of Article IV of the Treaty, which recognizes the inalienable rights of all States to develop, research, produce, and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, including in power generation, healthcare and agriculture. The Foreign Minister called for increased investment and international cooperation in the research of nuclear technology and explore the potentials of its peaceful use for the benefit of human kind. Mentioning the expenditure of 82.4 billion US dollars in 2021 to upkeep nuclear weapons amid the pandemic, he urged the States to stop senseless investments in destructive nuclear
weapons and instead re-direct these resources to promote health, address climate change, achieve the SDGs, and promote peace and stability. Bangladesh acceded to the NPT on 27th September 1979 and was among the first few countries to ratify the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in 2019.