BD appreciated at the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Convention.

Director General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Ahmet Üzümcü has highly appreciated Bangladesh’s role as a State Party to the Chemical Weapons Convention.Ahmet Üzümcü conveyed this to Principal Staff Officer, Armed Forces Division and Chairman, Bangladesh National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention (BNACWC) Lt Gen Md Mainul Islam during a meeting held at OPCW on Saturday.

Mainul Islam is in the Hague now to attend the Seventeenth Annual Meeting of the National Authorities being held at the OPCW headquarters in the Hague from November 7-29 November, according to a message received here on Saturday.

During the meeting Mainul Islam gave details on the contribution of Bangladesh to the Chemical Weapons Convention as a State Party and highlighted Bangladesh’s role in creating awareness both inside Bangladesh and beyond for safety and security of all chemical weapons under a system which is safe and secure as per the terms of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Appreciating Bangladesh’s role as a very supportive and abiding State Party, the DG, OPCW, offered assistance to Bangladesh in its capacity building in dealing with chemical weapons at the port of entry by the regulatory awareness as well as more space for chemists from Bangladesh in the OPCW.

Mainul Islam also requested Ahmet Üzümcü to consider recruiting more Bangladeshi nationals in his esteemed organization to which the DG, OPCW expressed readiness when there is any deserving candidate against any vacant post in the OPCW.

The DG, OPCW, also expressed his gratitude for the invitation to visit Bangladesh and expressed his willingness to visit Bangladesh early next year.

Earlier, on November 26, Mainul Islam paid a courtesy call on General Tom Middendorp, Chief of Defence of the Netherlands.

General Middendorp and Lt Gen Mainul Islam discussed both bilateral and international issues of mutual concern. General Middendorp highly appreciated Bangladesh’s contributions to the Peacekeeping Operations of the United Nations.

In response, Lt Gen Mainul Islam offered to share Bangladesh’s insight and experience in the Peacekeeping Operations with the Netherlands and offered spaces for training for the forces from the Netherlands.

General Middendorp and Lt Gen Mainul Islam expressed their mutual agreement to remain engaged for furthering global peace through more collaborative efforts in the future.

Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal was present during both the mee­­tings.