"Most of the current projects are running smoothly. But as a whole, the service volume of the commission is too big compared to the limited scientists, equipment and raw materials required," said Muhammad Rokunuddin, project director of the Biological Science Department.

Established in 1973, BAEC has been involved in the implementation of 17 development projects among which 13 are on going. The other four are already completed.

Commission sources said that they have been providing services to 1,60,000 patients in different hospitals of the country by standardising radiation monitoring instruments, and instruments used in cancer treatment, sterilisation and other surgical and medical instruments.

The commission also provides therapeutic services to different critically diseased patients.

"If the present number of people and the budget allocation is not increased, the services that the commission provides would decline very soon," said a scientist of the commission, on condition of anonymity.

Role and Responsibility of Atomic Energy Commission: The BAEC has the tradition and experience in research and development activities in Nuclear Science and Technology and other related fields over three decades. It has offered a wide range of opportunities for the application of this frontier science in various fields of economic development, including power generation, health and medicine, analytical chemistry and materials development, materials testing and quality control, preservation of food and other essential products, radiation processing technology for quality products, process control and instrumentation, environmental studies and many other fields of applied and fundamental research.

The primary objectives of BAEC are promotion of the peaceful uses of atomic energy in agriculture, medicine and industry development of related technology like electronics, computer, material sciences; planning, implementation and operation of nuclear power station; service in the sterilization of medical products, food preservation, non-destructive testing, elemental analysis, hydrology etc and discharge of international obligations.

Present condition of nuclear facilities in Bangladesh is very bright. Both sealed and unsealed sources of radioactive materials and radiation producing devices are being increasingly used both in the private and public sectors.

Mia Mustaque Ahmed, Secretary, Ministry of Science and Information & Communication Technology, said that they have taken measures like new recruitments for specific projects, to cover up the shortage of equipment and manpower.

"We will employ efficient people for the new projects and import some equipment very soon for the projects," he said. "We hope then to find solutions for the existing workload and contain the present crisis," he added.

CS Karim, chairman of the commission was unavailable to comment on the issue as he is indisposed and in hospital with complications of the gall bladder. When other officials were contacted, they refused to talk. "We have no permission to talk to the press," one said.