Special Correspondent, Dhaka:
As Bangladesh and Pakistan continue efforts to strengthen bilateral engagement after years of limited high-level exchanges, the signing of a new anti-drug cooperation agreement during the visit of Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi to Dhaka reflects growing cooperation between the two countries in security and law enforcement matters.
Bangladesh and Pakistan on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing cooperation in preventing illegal trafficking and abuse of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. The agreement was signed at a ceremony held at InterContinental Dhaka.
Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and Naqvi signed the agreement on behalf of their respective countries. Under the MoU, both sides agreed to strengthen intelligence sharing, technical assistance, and operational coordination to combat drug trafficking and narcotics-related money laundering.
The agreement includes provisions for exchanging information on suspected traffickers, organised smuggling networks, emerging concealment techniques and new trafficking routes. Officials said the cooperation framework also allows for joint intelligence operations and coordinated anti-drug activities, including controlled delivery operations upon mutual request.
The MoU places emphasis on capacity building and professional training for anti-narcotics personnel through the exchange of scientific research, expertise, and operational experience. Bangladesh’s Department of Narcotics Control and Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force will serve as focal points for operational coordination and intelligence exchange.
Both countries also agreed to share experiences regarding the use of technical equipment and sniffer dogs for detecting concealed narcotics while maintaining strict confidentiality over exchanged intelligence and operational documents.
Naqvi’s two-day visit is being viewed as politically significant, as it marks the first visit by a Pakistani minister to Bangladesh since the February national election. Besides anti-narcotics cooperation, discussions are also expected to include counterterrorism, cybersecurity, transnational crime, and cricket-related collaboration, indicating a broader attempt by Dhaka and Islamabad to expand practical engagement across multiple sectors.
