Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has expressed his intention to adopt Pakistan’s “Safe City” initiative to modernise security across Bangladeshi cities.
Salahuddin made these remarks during a meeting with Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Syed Mohsin Naqvi, held on Tuesday (local time) at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the bilateral discussions covered security cooperation, the prevention of drug smuggling, modern urban safety, and enhancing the capacity of police forces.
Salahuddin noted that the “Safe City” initiatives, which have been implemented in over 40 major Pakistani cities, serve as an exemplary model for Bangladesh.
He highlighted that the current cabinet secretary, during his tenure as the senior Secretary of the Home Ministry in September 2025, had personally inspected these models in Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, and Karachi.
“Utilising this experience, Pakistan can provide technical and strategic cooperation to make Bangladeshi cities safer,” Salahuddin said. He further requested Pakistan’s assistance in providing advanced training to Bangladeshi police officers to improve their professionalism and skills.
Addressing the Rohingya crisis, Salahuddin expressed hope that Pakistan would play an effective role in regional and global forums. He urged for Pakistan’s consistent and strong support in the international arena to ensure that Myanmar repatriates its citizens in a swift, safe, dignified, and sustainable manner.
Salahuddin also highlighted the humanitarian crisis facing people of Bangladeshi origin residing in Pakistan.
He pointed out that many face difficulties obtaining “Computerised National Identity Cards” (CNIC) due to a lack of necessary family tree documentation, which subsequently deprives them of fundamental rights such as education and healthcare.
He requested a swift and permanent solution to this issue on humanitarian grounds.
Recalling the Pakistani interior minister’s visit to Bangladesh in May this year, Salahuddin noted that the resulting Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on preventing the illicit trafficking of drugs and psychotropic substances would play a vital role in protecting the borders and societies of both nations.
He further remarked that the resumption of direct Dhaka-Karachi flights after a 14-year hiatus has opened new horizons for trade and people-to-people contact.
During the meeting, the Pakistani minister invited Salahuddin Ahmed to visit Pakistan, an invitation he accepted for a convenient time.
Bilateral talks with Vietnam
Separately, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed held a bilateral meeting with a Vietnamese delegation led by the Deputy Minister of Public Security, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Long.
During the session, the Home Minister stated that the new Bangladeshi government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, is keen to dynamise relations with Vietnam at bilateral, regional, and multilateral levels on matters of mutual interest.
The discussions involved detailed talks on visa complications for Bangladeshis in Vietnam and the repatriation process for irregular migrants, with the Minister presenting specific proposals on the latter.
He requested that the Vietnamese government simplify and relax visa procedures for genuine tourists, businesspeople, legal workers, and those seeking family visas from Bangladesh.
Salahuddin also emphasised the need for strengthened institutional communication between the home ministries of both countries to combat human trafficking, drug smuggling, and transnational crime.
Regarding economic ties, the Minister noted that bilateral trade has now exceeded $1 billion. He suggested that the signing of a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) could double this trade volume.
Finally, Salahuddin thanked the Vietnamese government for permitting the import of potatoes from Bangladesh and requested them to consider importing high-quality Bangladeshi medicines at affordable prices.
