Bangladesh seeks Singapore's support in repatriating fugitives

Bangladesh on Tuesday sought the cooperation of Singapore in repatriating fugitives who have fled the country and taken refuge in the island state.

The request was made by Home Affairs Adviser Lt General (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury during a courtesy meeting with Singapore's Non-Resident Ambassador Derek Loh at the Ministry of Home Affairs in the afternoon.

During the meeting, the Adviser praised Singapore for its corruption-free governance and exceptional development model, suggesting that Bangladesh could follow Singapore's example to build a more transparent and efficient system.

"Singapore is a developed and corruption-free country, equipped with all modern facilities. Over the past few decades, they have made remarkable progress in infrastructure and information technology," said Chowdhury.

"It has become a major destination for global tourists due to its efficient services and integrity. Singapore is a role model in delivering public services without corruption. We should adopt their model to make Bangladesh corruption-free," he added.

A wide range of bilateral issues were discussed in the meeting, including law enforcement cooperation, public safety, manpower export, fire incident investigations, repatriation of fugitives, prevention of human trafficking, protection of human rights, and technical assistance related to the implementation of Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) at the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

Welcoming Ambassador Loh, the adviser described Singapore as one of Bangladesh's closest allies and acknowledged the significant contributions of Bangladeshi workers in Singapore's development. He called for an increased intake of Bangladeshi manpower by Singapore.

In response, the ambassador noted that Bangladeshis constitute around 5 percent of Singapore's population and agreed that stronger people-to-people engagement is essential to further deepen the mutual trust and friendship between the two nations.

The adviser also highlighted the efficiency of Bangladeshi firefighters but noted that the country still lacks adequate capacity when it comes to investigating large-scale fire incidents. He requested technical support from Singapore in this area, to which Ambassador Loh responded that he would initiate discussions with Singapore's Civil Defence Department.

Addressing the issue of fugitives, the adviser stated, "Several criminals from Bangladesh have sought refuge in Singapore. We need Singapore's assistance in bringing them back to face justice."

He also proposed the signing of a mutual legal assistance agreement between the two countries.

Ambassador Loh recommended that Bangladesh formally send a letter through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the matter.

The meeting was attended by Mitchell Lee, Chargé d'Affaires of the Singapore High Commission in Dhaka, and Rahul Isaac, Country Officer at the Directorate for South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa under Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with senior officials from Bangladesh's Ministry of Home Affairs.