Executive secretary of CTBTO in Bangladesh

The Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) Lassina Zerbo has met Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali at his Dhaka office.

He is currently on a four-day official visit to Bangladesh from Oct 3 to 6.

It is the first-ever visit by Zerbo after taking office for the second term on Aug 1, 2013, the foreign ministry said.

During the meeting on Thursday, Ali stated that "Bangladesh has an impeccable non-proliferation record and we are committed to full compliance of the NPT and the CTBT".

He mentioned that the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina strictly adheres to its constitutional obligation of general and complete disarmament in defining its national, regional and international engagements on disarmament and non-proliferation.

The foreign minister referred to the special initiative of Hasina when she was in office from 1996-2001 to play a constructive mediating role following the nuclear test by the neighbouring India and Pakistan in 1998.

She had also advocated for declaring South Asia as a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone to maintain peace and stability in the region.

Zerbo applauded Bangladesh’s commitment and role in disarmament issues and thanked the government for continuing to advocate for complete and general disarmament.

He particularly thanked Bangladesh for its efforts towards contributing to regional stability by maintaining friendly relations with the neighbouring countries.

In the morning, Zerbo visited the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and paid tribute to the memory of Father of the Nation.

He also gave a lecture at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies.