Pakistan offers to share nuke technology with Bangladesh

Pakistan has offered to help Bangladesh with the latters proposed first nuclear power reactor.

Dhaka, May 20 : Pakistan has offered to help Bangladesh with the latter's proposed first nuclear power reactor.

Pakistan's High Commissioner to Bangladesh Alamgir Babar has said that Islamabad is ready to share nuclear technology with Dhaka for civilian purposes to help tackle that country's massive energy crisis.

The Daily Star quoted Babar as saying that Pakistan's offer was "on the table" and it was for Bangladesh to decide whether the country wanted to discuss it.

"We have a programme for nuclear energy. We are going ahead with that. It is up to Bangladesh to decide what they want," Babar told reporters.

He said discussions over the matter could take place within the parameters of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) even though Pakistan is not a part of it. Bangladesh is a signatory to NPT.

Pakistan is the latest to make such an offer that would be viewed with interest by the strategic community.

The caretaker Bangladesh Government's Foreign Adviser Iftekhar A Chowdhury has already discussed nuclear energy cooperation with Russia and China after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently cleared Bangladesh to use nuclear power for civilian use.

Russians showed willingness to help during Chowdhury's Moscow visit last month.

Bangladesh has revived the idea of the project it in the last two years since India and the US got into discussions over a nuclear deal, realising the need for meeting its growing energy needs.

ANI