ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh and Pakistan have signed an agreement to strengthen bilateral cooperation against drug trafficking, the Pakistani interior ministry said on Saturday, with officials from both countries pledging closer intelligence-sharing and collaboration between anti-narcotics agencies.
The statement came after Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi's meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart Salahuddin Ahmed in Dhaka, at which the two officials signed the agreement.
"The two countries will cooperate fully with each other to prevent illegal transportation and smuggling of drugs," the Pakistani interior ministry said in a statement.
"A joint strategy will be formulated to break the illegal sale of drugs and supply lines."
The two officials decided to form a joint working group between the two interior ministries, according to the statement. Relevant agencies of both countries will exchange timely information about drug smugglers and networks.
Pakistan and Bangladesh were part of the same country until Bangladesh’s secession following a bloody civil war in 1971, an event that long cast a shadow over bilateral ties. Both countries have moved closer since 2024, following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who was considered an India.
Naqvi and his Bangladeshi counterpart also discussed bilateral ties and agreed to increase cooperation in the areas of internal security and training of civil armed forces, according to the Pakistani interior ministry
"They also discussed increasing cooperation in counter-terrorism and prevention of human trafficking," it added.
