"Like many other countries in the region, Bangladesh has a considerable stock of anti-personnel mines. And as per the treaty obligations, we are going to destroy our stock by February 2005, retaining a minimum number for training purposes," said Master General of Ordnance Major General Jamil D Ahsan.

In line with the Anti-personnel Mine (APM) Ban Treaty, the Anti-personnel Landmine Destruction Programme in Bangladesh was launched at a ceremony held at the Central Ammunition Depot demolition ground at Maona Sreepur where around 2 lakh anti personnel mines will be demolished.

To start off the destruction of the weapons, 75 mines were planted deep into ditches and detonated from long distances with wires fitted to the devices.

Foreign ministry officials, some diplomats and journalists witnessed the explosions.

According to an international estimate, nearly 60 to 70 million landmines were indiscriminately laid in the ground in at least 70 countries of the world.

The landmines injure or kill approximately 26,000 civilians every year, some 8,000 to 10,000 of them are children.

In keeping with its constitutional obligation towards complete and general disarmament and a deep commitment to humanitarian principles, Bangladesh signed the Anti-Personnel Landmine Convention on May 7, 1998 and it ratified the convention on September 6, 2000.

Under provision of the convention, state parties are required to complete destruction of its anti-personnel stockpiles within four years from the date of becoming a party. A total of 134 nations are state parties to the convention.

Another 13 countries have signed but not ratified the convention yet. "Thus we may consider that 147 countries have legally committed to the core obligations of the treaty," the military officer told the function.

Canada, awarded as the most peaceful country of the world, has provided $2.8 million in financial assistance for meeting the expenditure of the destruction operation.