Pakistan, Bangladesh sign agreement to combat drug trafficking

Pakistan and Bangladesh have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen bilateral cooperation against drug trafficking and narcotics abuse, the Ministry of Interior said on Saturday.

The development came during Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s visit to Dhaka, where he met his Bangladeshi counterpart Salahuddin Ahmed, according to the ministry.

According to the ministry, the two sides signed a “historic agreement”. It said that Naqvi and Ahmed signed the MoU on behalf of their respective governments.

Under the MoU, both countries will fully cooperate with each other to prevent the illegal transportation and smuggling of narcotics, while joint efforts will be made to “curb the growing trend of drug abuse and eliminate its negative impacts”, the ministry said.

It was also agreed that a joint strategy will be formulated to dismantle the illegal sale and supply network of narcotics. The relevant agencies of both countries will exchange timely intelligence and information regarding drug traffickers and trafficking networks, the interior ministry said.

“Training of personnel, use of modern technology, and best practices for narcotics prevention will be shared between the two sides,” it added.

According to the ministry, Naqvi also offered full cooperation to his Bangladeshi counterpart regarding the Safe City project.

“We will support the government of Bangladesh in the project in every possible way,” the ministry quoted him as saying.

According to the ministry, both sides also agreed on enhancing cooperation between the two countries in the areas of bilateral ties, internal security, and the training of civil armed forces. Discussions were also held on increasing cooperation to combat terrorism and prevent human trafficking. The interior ministers also exchanged views on joint measures for counter-terrorism.

Naqvi and Ahmed held detailed discussions on “enhancing mutual cooperation in the areas of cybercrimes, organised crime, and financial fraud”, the ministry said, adding they also discussed cooperation in training programmes for officers at police academies.

It said that Naqvi invited his Bangladeshi counterpart to visit Pakistan, while the latter thanked him for offering cooperation on the Safe City project.