Dhaka: Bangladesh and Pakistan have expressed their commitment to work together to combat drugs and terrorism. The commitment was made during a courtesy call by Pakistani Home Minister, Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President, and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Raza Naqvi on Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury at the latter's office here.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the meeting discussed various issues of mutual interest, including mutual cooperation between the police academies of the two countries in police training, on-arrival visas for diplomatic and official passport holders, the Rohingya issue, combating cybercrime, and increasing trade and commerce. Welcoming the Pakistani Home Minister, the Adviser said Bangladesh and Pakistan share a common history and tradition, adding that "the friendly relations between the two countries are growing stronger day by day."
The Pakistani Home Minister expressed his commitment to increasing cooperation between the two countries in various fields. He mentioned that the Memorandum of Understanding on on-arrival visas for diplomatic and official passport holders is almost at its final stage. The construction of the Bangladesh Embassy building in Pakistan is underway, and the MRP passport issuance process is currently ongoing there. Once the construction of the embassy building is completed, the e-passport issuance process will begin in Pakistan.
Highlighting global peace efforts, the Pakistani Minister reiterated the importance of combating terrorism. He opined that failure to address this issue would pose a threat to everyone, including Pakistan, and emphasized the need for cooperation. He suggested that Bangladesh could utilize Pakistan's experience in combating terrorism.
Naqvi also underscored the issue of drug smuggling, noting that Pakistan's second major problem is drugs coming in from neighboring Afghanistan. The Home Affairs Adviser pointed out that Bangladesh faces a similar problem with drugs being smuggled in from neighboring Myanmar, suggesting that the two countries could share their experiences to tackle the drug menace.
On police training, the Pakistani Home Minister proposed signing a memorandum of understanding between the police academies of the two countries, to which the Home Affairs Adviser agreed, highlighting the Bangladesh Police Academy in Sardah as one of the oldest police training institutes in the Indian subcontinent.
Discussing the Rohingya issue, the Pakistani Home Minister said they are not granting citizenship to the Rohingyas but issuing passports with a different code for identification. The Adviser sought Pakistan's cooperation in the repatriation of the Rohingyas, noting that Bangladesh has sheltered 1.3 million Rohingya refugees, which has become a burden for the country.
During the meeting, the Pakistani Home Minister invited the Home Affairs Adviser to visit Pakistan and expressed condolences on behalf of the Pakistani government over the loss of lives in the Uttara aircraft crash. Earlier, the Home Ministry presented a guard of honor to the Pakistani minister.