The might of atomic power was proved; its beneficial use should be explored for the benefit of mankind. The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) genesis was US president Eisenhower's "Atom for Peace" address to the General Assembly of the United Nations on October 8, 1953. His ideas for the beneficial applications of atomic power for human development helped to shape the IAEA statute and accelerated its birth.

The IAEA statute was approved by the Conference on the Statute of the IAEA, held at the United Nations Headquarters, New York, in October 1957; it entered into force on July 29, 1957. Thus, the International Atomic Energy Agency, popularly known as the nuclear watch- dog of the UN, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, was established as the world's centre of nuclear cooperation in the inter-governmental "atom for peace" organisation within the UN system.

The IAEA contributes to global peace, development, and security, in essential ways -- helping to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, and fostering safe, secure, and peaceful uses of beneficial nuclear technologies for human development.

As per the statute, IAEA, in short, has the following functions with respect to the benefit of the developing countries, including Bangladesh:

* To encourage and assist research on, and development and practical application of, atomic energy for peaceful use throughout the world; and to perform any operation or service useful in research on, or development or practical application of, atomic energy for peaceful purposes.

* To make provision, in accordance with the statute, for materials, services, equipment, and facilities, to meet the needs of research on, and development and practical application of, atomic energy for peaceful purposes, including the production of electric power, with due consideration for the needs of the under-developed areas of the world.

* To foster the exchange of scientific and technical information on peaceful uses of atomic energy.

* To encourage the exchange of training of scientists and experts in the field of peaceful uses of atomic energy.

* To establish and administer safeguards designed to ensure that special fissionable and other materials, services, equipment, facilities, and information made available by the Agency, or at its request or under its supervision or control, are not used in such a way as to further any military purpose; and to apply safeguards, at the request of the parties, to any bilateral or multilateral arrangement, or at the request of a state, to any of that state's activities in the field of atomic energy.

* To establish or adopt, in consultation and, where appropriate, in collaboration with the competent organs of the United Nations and the specialised agencies concerned, standards of safety for protection of health and property.

* To acquire or establish any facilities, plant, and equipment useful in carrying out its authorised functions, whenever the facilities, plant, and equipment otherwise available to it in the area concerned are inadequate or available only on terms it deems unsatisfactory.

Except a few, none of the member states of the IAEA has the intention or the capability or infrastructure to become a nuclear weapon state. Considering the immense benefit of atomic energy in food, agriculture, health, industry and power, most of the developing countries have become members to reap the benefits of its know-how.

Dr. Elbaradei, the director general of the IAEA in his article,"Security Today and Tomorrow (IAEA Bulletin 48/2)," wrote: "Not long ago members of a United Nations high level panel assessed and identified five categories of threats: The first includes poverty, infectious diseases, and environmental degradation. The second, organised crime. The third, terrorism. The fourth, armed conflict -- both within and among states. And fifth, weapons of mass destruction."

They cannot be solved by one country, but only through global response and multinational cooperation. IAEA has a role to play in all these issues. From a developing country's perspective, including Bangladesh, I emphasise the important and pioneering roles the IAEA has played.

As per its mandate to encourage and assist research in application of nuclear science and technology in peaceful applications, the IAEA has some research and technology transfer goals in the most wanted fields in developing countries, such as food and agriculture, water, health, and industry.

Capacity building in basic science and technology is a prerequisite for helping developing countries address many basic needs -- improving access to food, water, energy, healthcare, housing and education. The IAEA is providing assistance to member states in manpower development in all these fields, including Bangladesh.

Poverty is a curse for humanity, that brings a deep sense of injustice, anger, and humiliation. Forty percent of humanity lives on less than two dollars a day; 850 million go to bed hungry each night. World governments spend roughly $100 million on foreign aid, whereas more than $1 trillion is spent in weapons of war.

Food security is the most important factor in poverty elimination, but has been ignored by most of the rich countries. The IAEA is assisting its member states in controlling post-harvest food losses, developing enhanced crop varieties, effective pest control measures, increasing soil fertility, and better soil and water management.

The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) and Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) in Mymensigh receive support in the form of equipment, training, and expert services through the regional, international, and country programs under the technical assistance of the IAEA.

In addition, IAEA supports research in the institutions in developing member states directly, and through its laboratories in Vienna and Seibersdorf, Austria, the Marine Environment Laboratory in Monaco, and Abdus Salam Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy.

Non-destructive-testing (NDT) has been developed and applied in industries in Bangladesh through IAEA's assistance. In the health sector, the development of nuclear medicine in the country is greatly indebted to the IAEA for its assistance with equipment, manpower development, and experts.

The IAEA's assistance in training our scientists and engineers in the operation and maintenance of sophisticated electronic equipment for research, industrial applications, and diagnostic and curative purposes in nuclear medicine institutions, goes a long way in providing proper and uninterrupted services to the end users -- the people of Bangladesh.

Nuclear science and technology was introduced in the then East Pakistan after the commissioning of the Atomic Energy Centre, Dhaka (AECD) in 1964. Since then, the country has been receiving unhindered support from the Agency. After independence, Bangladesh became a member of the Agency in 1972.

The research and development of BAEC increased after the establishment of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment in Savar. Support in training, equipment and experts, the maintenance and operation of major facilities such as the 3 MeV Triga research reactor and gamma irradiation facilities, were also provided by the Agency.

Although the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant was approved by the then Pakistan government in 1964, it never saw the light of day. Renewed interest has been shown, and powerful delegations have been sent to Vienna on many occasions for the support of the agency.

IAEA has always reacted positively to the propositions of Bangladesh. It did so recently when Bangladesh was planning to establish a 600 MW in Rooppur. In brief, these are not all but some of the projects assisted by the Agency.

Bangladesh has developed trained manpower and infrastructure through the assistance of the IAEA in nuclear chemistry, nuclear physics, radiation biology, computer science, electronics, nuclear engineering and technology, survey of nuclear minerals and exploitation of heavy minerals, and nuclear medicine and nuclear agriculture, through the technical and financial support of the agency.

Bangladesh is a least developed country, but in nuclear science and technology we are at par with some of the mid level developed countries. I had this realisation after working with the IAEA as its post-doctoral fellow, consultant, chief scientific investigator of projects, TC expert and, finally, a staff member of its joint FAO/IAEA Division in Vienna, travelling over 30 countries in 32 years to promote research, development, and technology transfer of food irradiation.

There was a recent dialogue (CPD and UNCTAD) on the Bangladesh position in science and technology that contradicts my above statement. Even among the least developing nations our position is at the lower order as reported in the dialogue. It might be true in technology transfer.

It would not have happened if proper action had been taken soon after the independence from Pakistan, as many of our nuclear scientists had to move other places considering the lack of opportunity in the country. With the establishment of the Atomic Energy Commission in India, nuclear science flourished along with other higher science and technology like electronics and space science.

Everyone knows the position of India in science and technology. In the same way, science in Pakistan developed significantly. Timely intervention would have developed our science as well. Many of our nuclear scientists and technologists would not have left the motherland in the mid 1970s.

As the world's demand for energy is increasing day by day, and fossil fuel is not only degrading the environment but depleting fast, nuclear energy appears to be a competitive and commercial source of alternative energy. As a necessity, and also because the Chernobyl accident is no more haunting the developed countries, there is a renewed interest in nuclear power in European countries and the US, which had declared a moratorium in nuclear power in the past.

It is anticipated that IAEA's role as nuclear watchdog will be enhanced in course of time. We have to rethink our position in nuclear science and take appropriate planning in building infrastructures, including trained manpower, so that we do not lag far behind in practical application of nuclear energy.

Dr. M. Ahmed, is a former official of IAEA in Vienna, and BAEC, Dhaka.