The Hague, 21 August 2020:

Bangladesh Ambassador to the Netherlands M Riaz Hamidullah presented his credentials as Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to Ambassador Fernando Arias, Director-General of OPCW. Ambassador Odette Melono, Deputy Director-General of OPCW was also present during the ceremony.

OPCW Director-General, while welcoming Ambassador Hamidullah as the next Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the OPCW, lauded Bangladesh’s contributions to world peace and commitment to rid the world free of chemical weapons. He also touched upon different issues of mutual interest, including international cooperation for the promotion of peaceful use of chemistry.

Ambassador Hamidullah appreciated the leadership of Ambassador Fernando Arias as the Director-General of the Organization;and suggested for OPCW to focus on economic and technological development of the Member States, particularly developing countries like Bangladesh, beside itscome manadate of chemical disarmament. Highlighting the scientific development in the areas of chemistry and biology, particularly, convergence of chemistry and biology and development in related technology, Ambassador Hamidullah undescored the necessity of OPCW’s active support to Bangladesh as a large emerging economy, in capacity building of the relevant institutions, education and outreach to chemical industry and students of chemical engineering, chemistry, and biochemistry at University Level. He suggested that scholarships for interns and Junior Professional Officers from the developing countries would foster geographical diversity in the Organisation as also contribute to promote peaceful use of chemistry in those countries.

OPCW won Nobel Prize for Peace in 2013 for its contribution in ridding the world of chemical weapons to an extent never seen before. The Organization implements 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention with 193 States as its members. Bangladesh signed the Chemical Weapons Convention on 14 January 1993 and ratified it on 25 April 1997.Bangladesh is currently an (elected) member of the 41-member Executive Council of OPCW as well as the Chair of the Committee of the Whole of its Confernece of the States Parties.