Nuclear sand in Cox's Bazar
Saturday, 17 April 2010
Nehal Adil
Bangladesh is said to be the only country of the world to have naturally-enriched uranium. It is said to be in its nuclear sand in Cox's Bazaar: For long this sand has cured cancer and related diseases. The fast flowing current of our mighty rivers naturally enrich the uranium ore which ultimately turns into radio-active sand in the coast.We are not aware of the authenticity of this report, neither are average Bangladeshis aware of the arithmetic of the nuclear process.
But nuclear co-operation is a vital phase of our foreign policy both for nuclear security and national development.
Since the installation of the democratic regime the government has taken the welcome step of broadening the base of our foreign policy while maintaining a vibrant relation with the newly-installed democratic regime of Barak Obama in the USA. The Prime Minister has visited India and China. We can strengthen our independence by broadening our relations with our neighbours. It is no secret that the United States does not want to broaden the nuclear base of other countries, specially in the third world.
The nuclear summit in Washington was held with that end in view. India and Pakistan were invited, but not Bangladesh
Late Hussein Shahid Suhrawardy, founder of All Pakistan Awami League, was the first Pakistani Prime Minister to visit China. It opened the field of nuclear co-operation with that country. The first nuclear reactor was supposed to be built in Ruppur in Pabna in our part of the country. West Pakistanis did not follow it, they made their own reactor at Kahuta and made Pakistan a nuclear weapon state. Recently our democratic government has revived the Ruppur dream of a nuclear reactor, envisioned by the first Awami League government at the centre. Both Soviet Union and China were considered possible nuclear suppliers. Fall of the Suhrawardy government brought an end to that dream nearly half a century ago. We do not want to make any nuclear bomb, what we want is peaceful use of nuclear energy as we go through a serious energy crisis because of a growing population and rapid industrialisation and mechanisation of agriculture.
Now, India is reportedly mining uranium in our periphery in Meghalaya and Mizoram on the border. It is building six nuclear reactors with Russian help and has concluded a treaty to build sixteen more, during the last visit by Russian Prime Minister Putin. It has enhanced nuclear co-operation with France and Japan. In India's strategic partnership with China space and nuclear cooperation are included. This was highlighted on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of Sino-Indian relation when the Indian Foreign Minister visited China. This is in addition to much paraded Indo-US nuclear treaty which so far has not brought any concrete result but is seen as a dangerous development by its neighbours. Many term it as a success in India's dual diplomacy. Though the USA is said to be interested to take control of Bangladesh's nuclear sand it is helpless to stop India to be a nuclear superpower, critics point out Pakistan is building weapon-capable reactors.
We have no point in competing with India and Pakistan. As a member of the same family we are proud of their nuclear success. But nobody from outside the family should deprive us of our rights.
In our periphery Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia are getting Russian-made reactors. Russia is giving Indonesia floating-reactor technology, which could also be useful for us. Thailand is also building a reactor. Malayasia is trying one on its own.
But what is important is to re-establish full sovereignty on our nuclear assets, I mean our nuclear sand. We do not know what happened under the un-elected caretaker government. The democratic government should present the whole picture to the parliament.
Bangladesh has produced world-class nuclear scientists like Dr RO Ghani and Faroouk Aziz Khan. We can build our own reactor with our own scientists.
Yes we are committed to nuclear safety of the world. We have total capacity not to allow our nuclear material fall in wrong hands. Our armed forces are playing a pivotal role in maintaining world peace. They are capable of protecting our nuclear assets. Nobody should ungratefully underestimate them. We should not allow any foreign power to get involved in our nuclear assets. India, Pakistan and Iran do not allow it. It is the question of national sovereignty. Even South Korea which is a close ally of the USA independently developed its nuclear technology and is building a nuclear reactor in the UAE.
Despite Chernobyl and Three Miles Islands nuclear energy is the hope of the future.
We have an atomic energy commission and hundreds of dedicated scientists working for decades. We can utilise our nuclear sand ourselves.
Bangladesh is said to be the only country of the world to have naturally-enriched uranium. It is said to be in its nuclear sand in Cox's Bazaar: For long this sand has cured cancer and related diseases. The fast flowing current of our mighty rivers naturally enrich the uranium ore which ultimately turns into radio-active sand in the coast.We are not aware of the authenticity of this report, neither are average Bangladeshis aware of the arithmetic of the nuclear process.
But nuclear co-operation is a vital phase of our foreign policy both for nuclear security and national development.
Since the installation of the democratic regime the government has taken the welcome step of broadening the base of our foreign policy while maintaining a vibrant relation with the newly-installed democratic regime of Barak Obama in the USA. The Prime Minister has visited India and China. We can strengthen our independence by broadening our relations with our neighbours. It is no secret that the United States does not want to broaden the nuclear base of other countries, specially in the third world.
The nuclear summit in Washington was held with that end in view. India and Pakistan were invited, but not Bangladesh
Late Hussein Shahid Suhrawardy, founder of All Pakistan Awami League, was the first Pakistani Prime Minister to visit China. It opened the field of nuclear co-operation with that country. The first nuclear reactor was supposed to be built in Ruppur in Pabna in our part of the country. West Pakistanis did not follow it, they made their own reactor at Kahuta and made Pakistan a nuclear weapon state. Recently our democratic government has revived the Ruppur dream of a nuclear reactor, envisioned by the first Awami League government at the centre. Both Soviet Union and China were considered possible nuclear suppliers. Fall of the Suhrawardy government brought an end to that dream nearly half a century ago. We do not want to make any nuclear bomb, what we want is peaceful use of nuclear energy as we go through a serious energy crisis because of a growing population and rapid industrialisation and mechanisation of agriculture.
Now, India is reportedly mining uranium in our periphery in Meghalaya and Mizoram on the border. It is building six nuclear reactors with Russian help and has concluded a treaty to build sixteen more, during the last visit by Russian Prime Minister Putin. It has enhanced nuclear co-operation with France and Japan. In India's strategic partnership with China space and nuclear cooperation are included. This was highlighted on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of Sino-Indian relation when the Indian Foreign Minister visited China. This is in addition to much paraded Indo-US nuclear treaty which so far has not brought any concrete result but is seen as a dangerous development by its neighbours. Many term it as a success in India's dual diplomacy. Though the USA is said to be interested to take control of Bangladesh's nuclear sand it is helpless to stop India to be a nuclear superpower, critics point out Pakistan is building weapon-capable reactors.
We have no point in competing with India and Pakistan. As a member of the same family we are proud of their nuclear success. But nobody from outside the family should deprive us of our rights.
In our periphery Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia are getting Russian-made reactors. Russia is giving Indonesia floating-reactor technology, which could also be useful for us. Thailand is also building a reactor. Malayasia is trying one on its own.
But what is important is to re-establish full sovereignty on our nuclear assets, I mean our nuclear sand. We do not know what happened under the un-elected caretaker government. The democratic government should present the whole picture to the parliament.
Bangladesh has produced world-class nuclear scientists like Dr RO Ghani and Faroouk Aziz Khan. We can build our own reactor with our own scientists.
Yes we are committed to nuclear safety of the world. We have total capacity not to allow our nuclear material fall in wrong hands. Our armed forces are playing a pivotal role in maintaining world peace. They are capable of protecting our nuclear assets. Nobody should ungratefully underestimate them. We should not allow any foreign power to get involved in our nuclear assets. India, Pakistan and Iran do not allow it. It is the question of national sovereignty. Even South Korea which is a close ally of the USA independently developed its nuclear technology and is building a nuclear reactor in the UAE.
Despite Chernobyl and Three Miles Islands nuclear energy is the hope of the future.
We have an atomic energy commission and hundreds of dedicated scientists working for decades. We can utilise our nuclear sand ourselves.