Bangladesh has sought Singapore’s cooperation in repatriating fugitives who have fled the country and taken shelter in the island nation.
The request was made by Home Affairs Adviser Lt General (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury during a meeting with Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador Derek Loh at the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday.
During the discussion, the Adviser commended Singapore for its corruption-free governance and rapid development, suggesting that Bangladesh could adopt similar practices to enhance transparency and efficiency.
“Singapore is a developed and corruption-free country with modern infrastructure and services. Over the past few decades, they have made remarkable progress, especially in information technology,” said Chowdhury.
“Singapore’s efficiency and integrity have made it a major global destination, and we should learn from their model to make Bangladesh corruption-free.”
The meeting covered a range of bilateral issues, including law enforcement cooperation, public safety, manpower export, fire investigations, repatriation of fugitives, prevention of human trafficking, human rights protection, and technical assistance for implementing the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s third terminal.
Welcoming Ambassador Loh, the Adviser described Singapore as one of Bangladesh’s closest allies and acknowledged the contributions of Bangladeshi workers to Singapore’s economy. He urged Singapore to expand opportunities for Bangladeshi manpower.
Ambassador Loh noted that Bangladeshis constitute around 5 percent of Singapore’s population and emphasized the importance of strengthening people-to-people ties to further enhance mutual trust and cooperation.
The Adviser also highlighted Bangladesh’s skilled firefighters but pointed out the country’s limited capacity in investigating large-scale fire incidents.
He sought Singapore’s technical assistance in this regard, to which Ambassador Loh responded positively, promising to initiate discussions with Singapore’s Civil Defence Department.
Regarding fugitives, the Adviser stated, “Several criminals from Bangladesh have taken refuge in Singapore. We need Singapore’s support in bringing them back to face justice.” He also proposed a mutual legal assistance agreement between the two nations.
Ambassador Loh suggested that Bangladesh formally submit a request through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs for further action.
The meeting was attended by Mitchell Lee, Chargé d'Affaires of the Singapore High Commission in Dhaka, Rahul Isaac, Country Officer at Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and senior officials from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Home Affairs.
