Naimul Haq, bdnews24.com senior Correspondent
Dhaka, Jan 3 (bdnews24.com) - Imports of all food items by land and seaports have been halted after the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) staff went on an indefinite strike Wednesday.
BAEC officials who issue radiation-testing certificates for all categories of food items at the ports of entry have called the strike protesting appointment of Dr Abdul Aziz, a teacher of Dhaka University, as chairman of BAEC.
The strike would also affect diagnostic and treatment services at 14 centres of nuclear medicine, as the centres would soon run out of isotopes required for the purpose. The centres depend on isotopes from BAEC's Savar centre where they are produced. The isotopes are used for creating images to see organs like the kidney, heart, lungs and liver for any malformation.
Meanwhile, the nuclear reactor at Savar BAEC centre has also been shut down since Wednesday morning suspending operations of all allied research work in the country.
More than 200 scientists and other staff members of the BAEC, wearing black badges, have been chanting slogans at all workplaces under the BAEC, including its headquarters at Agargaon since Wednesday morning demanding withdrawal of the order and appointment of a scientist from BAEC itself as chairman.
"We will not let a non-technical person take over the leadership of this highly technical institution," Dr Fariduddin Ahmed, Director of International Affairs of BAEC told bdnews24.com Tuesday night.
Dr Ahmed also said, "Dr Aziz is a professor of botany. At the BAEC we deal with nuclear technology and its allied topics. How on earth can a person with no experience in nuclear technology research run the affairs of the institution so big and so important?"
Dr Ahmed claimed that the concerned adviser of the caretaker government had talked to the BAEC officials and had assured them of withdrawing the order but nothing progressed in their favour. Dr Ahmed also said that they had been protesting Dr Aziz's presence in BAEC for the past two years, but his affiliation with the ruling four-party alliance kept him going without any objection from the high ups in the administration.
Another official of BAEC, speaking to bdnews24.com on condition of anonymity, said, "Individuals who have vast experience in running the affairs of BAEC are the fittest persons, but it seems violating all traditions of the institution the government is making a political appointment to destroy such a 'healthy' institution."
This correspondent contacted Dr Abdul Aziz on Tuesday night for his comments. Dr Aziz brushed aside allegations that he had no experience in running the affairs of BAEC. He said, "I already had the experience of running the affairs of the institution when I was appointed acting chairman from October 28 - November 15, 2006. In fact, I have been serving as one of the members of the BAEC since the past three years and no one has ever protested that."
Dr Aziz also said, "If experience counts, I am one of the most qualified scientists for the BAEC. I have carried out research with radiation energy since long at BAEC. As a teacher dealing with bio-sciences, I believe I have many researches to conduct at the BAEC. In fact, I have more than 75 research publications from the Dhaka University."
Dr Mantazul Islam Chowdhury, Director, Radioactivity Testing and Monitoring Laboratory at Chittagong, told bdnews24.com that they had stopped testing of all food samples since Wednesday morning.
"I have received a fax message from Dhaka BAEC office and as members of the same community we are also observing the strike here,'' he added.
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