This conviction was expressed during a courtesy call on Home Affairs Advisor Lt. Gen. Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd.) at his office in the Ministry of Home Affairs at the Bangladesh Secretariat by Pakistan’s Home Minister, Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Raza Naqvi.
The meeting discussed various issues of mutual interest including combating drugs and terrorism between the two countries, mutual cooperation between the police academies of the two countries in police training, on-arrival visas for diplomatic and official passport holders, Rohingya issue, combating cybercrime, and increasing trade and commerce.
Welcoming the Pakistani Home Minister, the Advisor said that Bangladesh and Pakistan share a common history and tradition. The friendly relations between the two countries are strengthening day by day. At this time, the Pakistani Home Minister expressed his commitment to increase all-round cooperation between the two countries in various fields.
The Home Affairs Advisor said that the Memorandum of Understanding on On-Arrival Visa for Diplomatic and Official Passport Holders of the two countries is almost at the final stage. The construction process of the Bangladesh Embassy building is underway in Pakistan. For now, the MRP passport issuance process is underway there. Once the construction of the embassy building is completed, the e-passport issuance process will be started there.
Stating that Pakistan is working with the highest priority on combating terrorism, the country’s Home Affairs Minister said, we are working to establish peace around the world by combating terrorism. He said, if we fail there, it will pose a threat to everyone, including Pakistan. That is why we seek everyone’s cooperation. In this regard, Bangladesh can utilize Pakistan’s experience in combating terrorism. Mohsin Raza Naqvi said, Pakistan’s second main problem is drugs, which are smuggled from neighboring Afghanistan. At this time, the Home Affairs Advisor said, one of the main problems of Bangladesh is drugs, which are usually smuggled from our neighboring country, Myanmar. The advisor said that the two countries can use their mutual experience to eliminate the drug problem.
Stating that the two countries can cooperate with each other in police training, the Pakistani Home Minister said that a memorandum of understanding can be signed between the police academies of the two countries in this regard. The Home Advisor agreed on this and said that the Saradha Police Academy of Bangladesh is one of the oldest police training institutes in the Indian subcontinent.
On the Rohingya issue, the Pakistani Home Minister said, we are not giving them citizenship. However, we are giving them passports with a different code or serial number so that they can be identified as Rohingya. At this time, the Home Advisor said, we have given shelter to 1.3 million Rohingya refugees for the sake of humanity, which is a burden for a developing country like ours. The Advisor sought Pakistan’s cooperation in the repatriation of the Rohingyas.
In the meeting, the Pakistani Home Minister invited the Home Advisor to visit Pakistan. During this, he expressed grief and condolences on behalf of the Pakistani government over the casualties in the plane crash in Uttara.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi was presented with a guard of honour by the Ministry of Interior.
Special Assistant to the Principal Advisor on Home Affairs Md. Khoda Bakhsh Chowdhury, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Interior Nasimul Ghani, Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan Embassy Muhammad Wasif and others were present at the meeting.
