Dr Wazed: Guiding Bangladesh’s entry into the nuclear era

ENGR. MD. TANVIR HASAN TALASH:

In a war-torn country, the idea of an atomic energy commission seemed extravagant. At a science conference in Dhaka in 1972, headed by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a consensus was reached that a separate entity like the atomic energy commission in a newly independent country would be too expensive to continue. Rather, it could merge with the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR).

When all the voices spoke loudly against the idea of a separate atomic energy organization, Dr. M. A. Wazed Miah took a different stance. He stubbornly advocated for a dedicated commission for atomic energy in Bangladesh. He along with the former acting chief of the atomic energy commission, the late Dr. Anwar Hossain, met Bangabandhu to convince him. Bangabandhu obliged and finally, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) was established in 1973.

Dr. Wazed also introduced a division for nuclear safety and radiation protection under BAEC.

When Chhatra Dal leaders, equipped with the support of the ruling BNP, pressed for shifting the Atomic Energy Centre (AEC) premises from the Dhaka University campus, Dr. Wazed was the only nuclear scientist in the commission to raise his voice in public against this demand.

Before resigning from the commission in 1999 as its chairman, he established Radioactivity Testing and Monitoring Laboratory (RTML) in 1987 in Chattogram. All the imported food items had to pass through the laboratory of BAEC.

From the subtle, apparently intangible yet quantifiable world of atomic physics to the turbulent sphere of political movements, Dr. Wazed sketched a visionary roadmap leading the nation to remarkable outcomes. While the magnetizing spell of power and limelight pulls many brilliant minds, his world was immune to the faintest influence of such kind. As a researcher in nuclear physics, a seemingly futuristic field for a student to pursue five or six decades ago, he outlined the course of Bangladesh's entry into the nuclear era. The Rooppur nuclear power plant that he envisioned for meeting the electricity demand of this large population is not a faraway dream for the country but going to be a living reality soon. Dr. Wazed is often remembered for his passion for humanity and kindness which became even more prominent during some crucial junctures of history.

As a student of Dhaka University, he was entrusted by fellow students at the dormitory as its vice president, to which he did justice. He was one of the organizers for leading the movement against Ayub Khan's Education Policy in the 1960s during the regime of Pakistan from whose clutches Bangladesh would soon earn freedom through an armed struggle. At the end of his student life, he fully dedicated himself to research, proving his excellence in the arena. Deeply moved by the combination of academic mastery and political activities, Bangabandhu held Dr. Wazed high in his estimation. He later tied the knot with Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina, currently the prime minister of Bangladesh. He was a lone voyager with no affinity towards name and fame or power and wealth.

As all hell broke loose in 1975 when some power-hungry army officers massacred Bangabandhu and most of his family members including his 10-year-old child Sheikh Russel, only Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana survived as they were abroad at the time of the coup. During this most deplorable and inhumane period, Dr. Wazed became a reliable shade under which Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana took shelter.

Remembering this silent revolutionary on his 14th death anniversary on May 9, his colleague Engr. Md. Muzammel Haque, former Chairman of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) and chairman of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) recounted an anecdote reflecting on the level of commitment Dr. Wazed had towards his work.

"I worked with Dr. Wazed for over 12 years. During this journey, I found him to be a creative personality. One day when he was ill and was admitted to the hospital, many went to meet him as well-wishers. But, I decided not to go as I knew that he would bring up work-related issues. Finally, he called me and amid his illness, started talking about our work. His unwavering commitment to work led me to think that wherever he went – be it for leisurely traveling or some other purpose – he never stopped thinking of his work. It is due to his initiative that the head office of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) was established at Agargaon. An Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) was also set up on a 259-acre of land in Savar based on the model of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to intensify the effort to exploit nuclear science and technology for the benefits of the nation," he recounted.

As India’s largest atomic research establishment was named after prominent nuclear scientist Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha, the atomic energy research establishment of Bangladesh should be renamed as ‘Wazed Atomic Energy Research Establishment’ to pay the utmost tribute to the eminent nuclear scientist.

His other colleague Dr. Md Azizul Haque, the former chairman of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), said, "Dr. Wazed's dream was to build a nuclear power plant in Rooppur, a dream he couldn't see materialize in his lifetime but now it is being implemented under the leadership of his wife, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In 1974, he was set to visit Germany for a post-doctoral fellowship but his leave was withheld then by the former chairman of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission. Despite being a son-in-law of Bangabandhu, who was in power, he showed no interest in harnessing his influence."

According to the chief scientific officer of BAEC, Dr. A. F. M. Mizanur Rahman, if Dr. Wazed Miah's master plan for advancing nuclear science and technology is followed, the country would be unstoppable in its progress along its technological trajectory.

Writer: Nuclear scientist and ex-Cambridge Scholar