Dhaka: Home Adviser Lieutenant General Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd.) today emphasized that Bangladesh should emulate Singapore to eliminate corruption. ‘We should follow the Singapore model to make Bangladesh free from corruption,’ he stated during a courtesy call by Singapore’s non-residential ambassador Derek Loh at the Secretariat office.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Home Adviser highlighted Singapore’s transformation into a major tourist destination due to its corruption-free and upgraded services. The meeting addressed various topics including law and order, manpower export, police and fire service training, repatriation of Bangladeshi criminals, human trafficking curtailment, and human rights protection in Singapore, as per a Home Ministry press release.
Jahangir reiterated that Singapore serves as a role model for providing corruption-free services, advising Bangladesh to follow suit to achieve a similar transformation. He noted Singapore’s status as a developed and corruption-free nation, particularly praising its progress in information and technology infrastructure.
Further cooperation was sought from Singapore to implement APIS (Advance Passenger Information System) at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s third terminal. Jahangir acknowledged the significant contributions of Bangladeshis working in Singapore, noting their role in the country’s development.
Additionally, he requested Singapore’s assistance in extraditing Bangladeshi criminals hiding there, expressing a desire to prosecute them in Bangladesh. Jahangir urged Singapore to import more manpower from Bangladesh, and in response, the Singaporean envoy Derek Loh expressed consideration, acknowledging that five percent of Singapore’s population is of Bangladeshi origin.
The meeting was attended by Charg© d’affaires of Singapore in Bangladesh Mitchel Lee and Director of South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa Rahul Isaac Itty Abraham, among others.