Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has sought Singapore's training and technical assistance for Bangladesh Police to strengthen their capacity to tackle cybercrime, digital fraud and online scams.
He made the request during a courtesy meeting with Singapore's Non-Resident High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Derek Loh, at his office in the Jatiya Sangsad building on Tuesday, according to a Home Ministry press release.
During the meeting, Salahuddin highlighted the growing importance of cybersecurity and the need to enhance the police force's technical and professional capabilities to address emerging cyber threats.
Referring to an ongoing initiative to establish a dedicated Police Cyber Unit under the leadership of an Additional Inspector General of Police (Additional IGP), he expressed Bangladesh's interest in drawing on Singapore's expertise and best practices in cybercrime prevention and investigation.
In response, the Singapore delegation expressed its willingness to provide training opportunities and explore cooperation in joint cyber investigation support, knowledge sharing and technical capacity development.
The two sides also discussed expanding bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure development and maritime connectivity, particularly the proposed Bay Terminal project at Chattogram Port.
Loh informed the minister about progress on a proposed investment of approximately US$800 million to US$1 billion by PSA International in the project. He said PSA was ready to participate in the terminal's development and operation, noting that it could significantly reduce shipping costs for Bangladesh.
The meeting also covered ongoing negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Bangladesh and Singapore. Salahuddin expressed optimism about its early conclusion, saying it would create opportunities to expand bilateral trade and investment.
The Singapore high commissioner also proposed exchange visits and specialised training programmes for Bangladeshi government officials and young members of parliament under the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP). The home minister welcomed the proposal.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation. At the beginning of the meeting, Loh invited Salahuddin to visit Singapore at a mutually convenient time.
Among those present were Philip Ong, Chargé d’Affaires of the Singapore High Commission; Wong Tze Ping, regional head of PSA International; Benjamin Chue, Enterprise Singapore's representative for South Asia; Mrithini TGGRITHARAN, desk officer at Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and officials from Bangladesh's Ministry of Home Affairs.