Key points
- Joint committee to oversee future cooperation on security and police training
- Both sides pledge closer collaboration on counterterrorism, anti-narcotics
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Bangladesh have reached a principled agreement to allow visa-free entry for holders of diplomatic and official passports. The breakthrough came during a high-level meeting in Dhaka between Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Bangladeshi counterpart, Lt Gen (retired) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.
Naqvi, currently in Dhaka to chair the Asian Cricket Council meeting, was received with ceremonial honours at Bangladesh’s Interior Ministry, including a formal guard of honour, setting the tone for a meeting marked by goodwill, pragmatism, and strategic intent.
New era of engagement
The two ministers explored a wide-ranging agenda, from security and immigration cooperation to police reform and regional counterterrorism strategies. A standout achievement was the establishment of a joint committee to oversee future bilateral cooperation, with Pakistan’s Federal Interior Secretary Khurram Agha appointed to lead the group. A high-level Bangladeshi delegation is now scheduled to visit Islamabad in the coming months to study Pakistan’s acclaimed Safe City Project and training protocols at the National Police Academy.
“The visit is vital for forging new ties,” said Lt Gen Chowdhury, expressing gratitude for Pakistan’s offer to share police training expertise. “We are committed to strengthening cooperation in internal security and law enforcement.”
Security and strategy
The discussions touched on shared regional threats, particularly the rise in cross-border crime, narcotics trafficking, and human smuggling. Both sides expressed intent to draft joint strategies on counterterrorism, while also agreeing to ramp up information sharing and mutual training initiatives in the law enforcement sector.
“The agreement is not just symbolic,” said a senior official accompanying Naqvi. “It lays the groundwork for deeper institutional cooperation that serves both nations’ security and governance goals.”
A warm welcome, a strategic message
Naqvi’s visit carried both ceremonial warmth and strategic weight. Alongside Bangladesh’s Minister of State for Interior Khuda Bakhsh, the meeting was attended by top officials including Interior Secretary Nasim-ul-Ghani, Additional Secretary for Security Division Shamim Khan, Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires Muhammad Wasif, and Political Counsellor Kamran Dongal.
The two nations, while historically linked by shared cultural threads and complex pasts, are now clearly turning a page—prioritizing cooperation over caution, and vision over history.
Looking ahead
The visa-free travel agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders is expected to ease bureaucratic barriers and encourage frequent high-level exchanges between Islamabad and Dhaka.
Observers see this visit as more than protocol—it’s a pulse check on regional dynamics and a proactive bid by two key South Asian players to build bridges in an era where connectivity, not conflict, may shape the future.
As flags fluttered outside Dhaka’s Ministry of Interior and the sound of marching guards faded, a new chapter in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations appeared to take root—firmly, diplomatically, and with mutual respect.
