Dhaka: Bangladesh and Singapore have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in police reform, cyber security, counterterrorism, and investment expansion. The commitment came during a meeting between Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and Singapore’s Non-Resident High Commissioner Derek Loh at the Secretariat today, said a press release of the ministry.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the meeting focused on law enforcement cooperation, professional training, and capacity building of Bangladesh Police, as well as cybercrime prevention, countering transnational extremism, real-time information sharing, trade and investment expansion, and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. Salahuddin described Bangladesh-Singapore relations as ‘close and multidimensional,’ emphasizing that the partnership is built on mutual trust, friendship, and shared interests at both regional and international levels.
High Commissioner Derek Loh expressed Singapore’s readiness to provide technological and training support to enhance the professional capabilities of Bangladesh’s law enforcement agencies. He proposed sending a delegation of senior Bangladeshi police officers to Singapore for specialized training and experience-sharing programs. Loh also highlighted the ‘Singapore Cooperation Programme,’ which organizes around 300 seminars, workshops, and specialized training sessions annually for developing countries, noting that Bangladesh could benefit from the initiative.
Welcoming Singapore’s support, the minister sought policy-level cooperation in Bangladesh’s ongoing police reform efforts. He emphasized the need for stronger bilateral collaboration to combat growing cyber threats, including online scams, phishing, and other digital crimes, through regular exchange of technology and expertise. Both sides also emphasized the importance of real-time information sharing to counter transnational terrorism and extremism.
On legal cooperation, the minister mentioned that Bangladesh had sent a proposal to Singapore on February 22, 2024, regarding a Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters agreement, expressing hope that the deal could be signed soon after Singapore’s final approval. The Singapore envoy praised Bangladesh’s emerging economic potential and expressed interest in expanding Singaporean investment in sectors including healthcare, education, power, housing, and traffic management infrastructure.
Salahuddin Ahmed invited Singaporean public and private investors to take advantage of Bangladesh’s business-friendly and investment-oriented policies and become stronger partners in the country’s economic growth.