Riaz Hamidullah presents credentials as permanent Bangladesh representative to OPCW

Bangladesh Ambassador to the Netherlands M Riaz Hamidullah today presented his credentials as permanent representative of Bangladesh to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Welcoming Hamidullah, OPCW Director-General Ambassador Fernando Arias lauded Bangladesh's contributions to world peace and commitment to rid the world of chemical weapons.

He also touched upon different issues of mutual interest, including international cooperation for the promotion of peaceful use of chemistry, said a statement of Bangladesh embassy in the Netherlands.

Ambassador Hamidullah appreciated Ambassador Fernando Arias's leadership as the director-general of the OPCW and suggested focusing on economic and technological development of member states, particularly developing countries like Bangladesh, beside its mandate of chemical disarmament.

Highlighting the scientific development in the areas of chemistry and biology, Hamidullah underscored 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 the university level.

He also suggested that scholarships for interns and junior professionals from the developing countries would foster diversity at the organisation and contribute to promote peaceful use of chemistry in those countries.

OPCW, an inter-governmental organisation, won Nobel Prize for Peace in 2013 for its contribution in ridding the world of chemical weapons to an extent never seen before.

The organisation implements 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention with its 193 member states.

Bangladesh signed the Chemical Weapons Convention on January 14, 1993 and ratified it on April 25, 1997. Bangladesh is currently an elected member of the 41-member executive council of OPCW as well as the chair of the committee of its Conference of the State Parties.

Ambassador Odette Melono, deputy director-general of OPCW, was also present during the ceremony.