DHAKA, Dec 1, 2023 (BSS) - Professor Dr Syeda Sultana Razia of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) has won the prestigious 2023 The Hague Award at OPCW annual Conference of the State Parties.

She is the first Bangladeshi to receive this award.

Director General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Fernando Arias and Ambassador Henk van der Kwast, on behalf of the Dutch Government, jointly handed over the Award to her recently at the inauguration of the 28th Session of the Conference of States Parties (CSP 28), according to a press release of Bangladesh Embassy to Netherlands.

The other co-recipients were Spiez Laboratory (Switzerland) and Hubert K Foy, Director of African Centre for Science and International Security.

Since receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, OPCW has been judging and awarding individuals/institutions from around the world in recognition of their distinctive works relating to the objectives of the Convention.

OPCW recognised Dr Razia for her contributions in promoting chemical safety and security in Bangladesh as also her role as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) where she served as a member from 2018 to 2023 and "contributed in generating new knowledge for securing the world free from chemical weapons".

Dr Razia currently serves as a professor at Department of Chemical Engineering of BUET.