Pakistan, Bangladesh sign agreement to combat drug trafficking

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

It said that Naqvi and Ahmed signed the MoU on behalf of their respective governments, adding that both also agreed to set up a secretary-level joint working group between their ministries.

Under the MoU, both countries will fully cooperate 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 narcotics sale and supply networks. 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.

Relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh remained shaky during the rule of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina. However, following the popular revolt against her government and her subsequent exile, relations between the two countries improved markedly.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal had attended the oath-taking ceremony of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in February.

Last December, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq travelled to Dhaka for the funeral of the country’s first female prime minister Khaleda Zia.

In August 2025, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had also visited Dhaka and met interim ruler Professor Muhammad Yunus.