Dhaka: The 24th General Meeting of the Bangladesh National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention (BNACWC) was convened today at the Multipurpose Hall of the Armed Forces Division in Dhaka. The meeting was chaired by BNACWC Chairman and Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division, Lieutenant General S M Kamrul Hassan.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the assembly was attended by 43 high-ranking military and civil officials from various ministries, organizations, and forces. The meeting focused on reviewing the progress of decisions made during the 23rd General Meeting, which aimed at effectively implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention and The Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Act, 2006 in Bangladesh.
The discussions also emphasized enhancing the nation's overall chemical safety measures and taking proactive steps to manage chemical accidents. The ISPR release highlighted the importance of registering relevant institutions online with the BNACWC to efficiently monitor all activities related to listed chemical products and the production of non-listed independent organic chemicals within the country.
Additional topics included securing a 'No Objection Certificate (NOC)' from the national authority through the National Single Window (NSW) for the importation of listed chemical products and addressing the destruction of long-stored chemical products at Chittagong Port. The security of chemical safety systems at other ports was also a key point of discussion.
The meeting announced that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will conduct international training in Dhaka in October. This training aims to prepare significant hospitals for treating patients affected by chemical disasters or accidents.
Further, a decision was made to enhance the capacity of the Chemical Disaster Response Team (CDRT) to quickly respond to incidents involving chemical warfare agents or other chemical substances in Bangladesh, and to procure necessary equipment.
The chairman stressed the importance of developing a laboratory under the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) to meet OPCW standards. Concluding the meeting, the chairman urged all stakeholders to collaborate in ensuring the country's overall chemical safety and effectively managing related disasters or accidents, as reported by the ISPR.