Bangladesh
Bangladesh is an example to be followed by other States, as it has adhered to all of the seven key treaties in the legal architecture on disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
TPNW Status
| Key weapons of mass destruction treaties | ||
|---|---|---|
| NUCLEAR WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the TPNW | Yes (Ratified 2019) | |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Acceded 1979) | |
| Ratified the CTBT | Yes (Ratified 2000, Annex 2 state) | |
| Party to an NWFZ | No | |
| CSA with the IAEA | Yes (In force 1982) | |
| AP with the IAEA | Yes (In force 2001) | |
| BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Acceded 1985) | |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Ratified 1997) | |
| TPNW Art. 1(1) prohibitions: Compliance in 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compliant |
| Possess or stockpile | Compliant | |
| Test | Compliant | |
| (b) | Transfer | Compliant |
| (c) | Receive transfer or control | Compliant |
| (d) | Use | Compliant |
| Threaten to use | Compliant | |
| (e) | Assist, encourage or induce | Compliant |
| (f) | Seek or receive assistance | Compliant |
| (g) | Allow stationing, installation, deployment | Compliant |
| TPNW voting and participation | |
|---|---|
| UNGA resolution on TPNW (latest vote) | Voted yes (2025) |
| Participated in 3MSP (2025) | No |
| Participated in 2MSP (2023) | Yes |
| Participated in 1MSP (2022) | Yes |
| Average MSP delegation size (% women) | 5 (0%) |
| Adoption of TPNW (7 July 2017) | Voted yes |
| Participated in TPNW negotiations (2017) | Yes |
| Negotiation mandate (A/RES/71/258) | Voted yes |
| Fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Nuclear facilities | Yes |
| Fissile material production | No |
| HEU stocks | No |
| Plutonium stocks | No |
| SQP with the IAEA | No |
Latest developments
At a high-level event on 26 September 2025 marking the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, Bangladesh called for universal adherence to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), including by nuclear-armed States.1
In the general debate of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, the Chief Adviser of the Interim Government, Muhammad Yunus, said: ‘Nowhere else do so many nuclear-armed States exist in such close proximity. That is why we, in Bangladesh, deeply understand the urgency of disarmament and the prevention of nuclear proliferation.’2
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2025, Bangladesh welcomed the TPNW’s entry into force, noting that it was among the Treaty’s first States Parties. ‘We urge all States that have not yet done so to join the Treaty,’ it said. It also reiterated its call for all States to ‘renounce nuclear weapons, recognizing the critical need for a world without them’.3
Recommendations
-
Bangladesh should continue to encourage other states to adhere to the TPNW.
-
Bangladesh should ensure that all the TPNW obligations are implemented domestically, through legal, administrative, and other necessary measures.