Bangladesh Police on Monday hosted its first-ever coordination meeting on diplomatic security cooperation, bringing together ambassadors, embassy security officials and representatives of international organisations to discuss ways of building a unified framework to counter increasingly complex global crimes.
The meeting, titled “Diplomatic Security Cooperation, Information Sharing and Capacity Building of Bangladesh Police”, was held at a hotel in the capital and chaired by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir.
Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Manjur Morshed Chowdhury and Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam attended as guests.
In the keynote paper, Additional DIG of Police Headquarters Belal Uddin said the concept of crime has grown significantly broader and more complex in the current global context. Violent extremism, organised crime, cybercrime and digital fraud now sit alongside terrorist financing, human trafficking, online gambling, AI-dependent crime, deepfakes, misinformation and disinformation — none of which, he said, can any longer be considered the problem of a single country.
“Strong diplomatic partnerships are no longer optional in tackling such crimes — they are today indispensable,” the keynote paper stated.
The meeting heard that Bangladesh Police has already developed an extensive framework for international coordination, operating through the Overseas Affairs Branch of Police Headquarters, the NCB and UN Operations Branch, DMP, SB, CID, PBI and ATU.
The force’s contribution to UN peacekeeping operations, regional security initiatives and international investigations has earned global recognition, it was noted.
Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam praised the Diplomatic Security Division of Bangladesh Police for its contribution to the protection of diplomats and called for the formation of a specialised unit dedicated to providing security to foreign embassies.
He also urged participants to expand security cooperation with Bangladesh Police.
The Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs said that in the current global environment, ensuring security without inter-country coordination and information sharing is nearly impossible.
He noted that Bangladesh Police is already serving in UN peacekeeping missions abroad while simultaneously working to build cooperation with other countries on cybercrime, financial crime and transnational crime.
In his presidential address, IGP Fakir described Bangladesh Police as not merely a domestic law enforcement force but a reliable partner in the global security architecture, pointing to the force’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations since 1989 as evidence of its long-standing international commitment.
“Effective policing in the present world depends on productive cooperation and coordination with international partners at the diplomatic level,” he said, adding that the meeting was designed to directly connect embassies and foreign organisations with key operational units of Bangladesh Police to ensure faster coordination and improved support.
The meeting recommended that Bangladesh Police work in coordination with various countries to tackle money laundering, financial crime, cybercrime and human trafficking, and to strengthen information-sharing mechanisms.
Foreign diplomats present welcomed the initiative and expressed their resolve to work jointly with Bangladesh Police.
An open discussion followed the keynote presentation, with DIG Md Kamrul Ahsan, DIG Taptun Nasreen and Additional DIG Mahiul Islam of the National Emergency Service 999 responding to questions from participants.
Additional IGP (Administration) AKM Awlad Hossain delivered the vote of thanks.
