Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority

BAERA was constituted under Section 4 of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Act 2012 on 12 February 2013, separating nuclear regulation from promotion (the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, BAEC, remains the operator/promoter under the Ministry of Science and Technology). The founding chairman was Prof Dr Naiyyum Choudhury, who served until his death. Current chairman Mahmudul Hasan's precise appointment date was not available from primary sources as of May 17, 2026 -- only confirmed as chairman at the April 16, 2026 commissioning license handover, corroborated by BSS and The Daily Star; head_since is left null pending a primary source confirmation. The commissioning license date of April 16, 2026 is confirmed across BSS, The Daily Star, World Nuclear News, and Views Bangladesh (4 independent outlets). Fuel loading start date of April 28, 2026 is confirmed across BSS, The Daily Star (multiple articles), World Nuclear News, TBS, Prothom Alo, and Bonik Barta (6+ independent outlets). The 163-assembly fuel specification (VVER-1200 reactor core), assembly length (~4.6 m, ~534 kg fuel each), and enrichment range (2.4%-4.95% U-235) are from The Daily Star's technical explainer. The staff vacancy figure (approximately half of sanctioned posts unfilled) was stated by Chairman Mahmudul Hasan per TBS reporting. BAERA's accountability to a parliamentary special committee (not the Ministry directly) is stated in Wikipedia and corroborated by the IAEA IRRS mission review. The IAEA conducted an Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission in Bangladesh; details available at the IAEA press release cited above. verification_status = verified: commissioning license event cross-checked from 4+ independent primary-source outlets; fuel loading start cross-checked from 6+ outlets; legal basis cross-checked from Wikipedia, services.most.gov.bd, and IAEA publications.