Energy Industry News

Pakistan Offers to Share N-Technology with Bangladesh

Dhaka, Bangladesh | May 27, 2008 by D-8 Secretariat

NTPakistan has offered to help Bangladesh with the latter’s proposed first nuclear power reactor, which was conceived when they were a single country, but never took off, as reported by Pakistani media source.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Alamgir Babar on Monday said that his country was ready to share nuclear technology for civilian purposes to help tackle the massive energy crisis. Babar said Pakistan’s offer was “on the table” and it was for Bangladesh to decide whether the country wanted to discuss it, media sources reported on Monday.

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. Russians showed willingness to help during Chowdhury’s Moscow visit last month.

“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 reporters.

He said discussions over the matter could take place within the parameters of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) even though Pakistan is not a part of it. Bangladesh is a signatory to NPT.

Pakistan is the latest to make such an offer that would be viewed with interest by the strategic community.

Its bid to strike a civilian nuclear technology agreement has been rejected by the US, which has worked out a deal with India for the same. Pakistan’s traditional military ally China has also not obliged, being governed by the IAEA and the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers’ Group. Bangladesh too has sought help from China.

The project was conceived during the Ayub Khan era in 1961 to be located at Rooppur in northern Bangladesh’s Pabna district.

Several countries including the US, Britain, France and Canada had shown interest in the project when Bangladesh was part of Pakistan. And after its independence, India too seemed keen. But the project, however, did not materialise.

Bangladesh has revived the idea of the project it in the last two years since India and the US got into discussions over a nuclear deal, realising the need for meeting its growing energy needs.

Read Also

Rate this article:
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...
Print This Post

One Response

  1. Mohammed
    4:57 am on March 5th, 2010

    This is excellent news the great people of both countries need to come together through co-operation. As both countries are like the limbs of one body which have been seperated due to bad leadership, unethical and unislamic actions of past governments. However the time has come for both countries to reconcile their differences as they have had long enough to dwell on the past. The people of both countires deserve better and have suffered for far too long. India and Kashmir also fall in the same category and should be invvited to join the D8 as both countires have huge populations of Muslims. All four countries are part of one nation their people share the same blood, they all look very simliar, eat and dress and talk very similar and have very similar cultural values and mannerisms. It is time that the people of the old great nation of Baroth come together under the D8 and make that change for their childrens sake. It was in the time of the Great Mughal Empire and of the Ottomon that the peoples of these empires were satisfied with their nations contributions to the world. So to the governments make our people proud because they deserve it and afterall it is their happiness that should reflect your hard work andd so far they dont look too happy but seem to be gettting happier.

Share your thoughts on this story. Please increase the credibility of your post by including your name and city, and by demonstrating respect for others' opinions. Comments will not appear immediately; all comments are moderated and will be posted in order of submission.