Jahangir calls for more US cooperation in Bangladesh's security sector

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has called for more cooperation from the US in Bangladesh's security sector.

He made the request during a courtesy call of the Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Dhaka Megan Bouldin at his ministry office in Bangladesh Secretariat on Thursday.

The meeting discussed various issues of mutual interest, including law and order and security issues between the two countries, counter-terrorism, prosecution of cases, and prevention of online sexual harassment of young women.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Adviser welcomed the Ambassador and said that the US is a close ally of Bangladesh.

“The country has been working as a close partner in counter-terrorism and security in Bangladesh since the beginning,” he said.

With the training and equipment support from the United States, it has been possible to modernise and make the CTTC (Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime) Unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) modern and capable, he said.

For this, the Advisor sincerely thanked the Charge d'Affaires and requested to continue cooperation in this sector in the future.

Expressing his commitment to cooperation in the security sector of Bangladesh, the Charge d'Affaires said that every country is more or less at risk of terrorism and militant attacks.

“Bangladesh is no exception,” she said.

In response, the Home Adviser said that the law enforcement agencies are on the highest alert to deal with not only terrorism, but any kind of crime.

Jahangir said that special security measures have been taken for the Baridhara diplomatic area of Dhaka.

Along with the regular security forces, the Coast Guard has been deployed there, he added.

Thanking the adviser for taking special measures for the security of the US Embassy, the Charge d'Affaires said that mutual communication, coordination and information sharing among the relevant agencies is very important to ensure the safety and security of any country.

Additional Secretary (Political and ICT) of the Public Security Division of the Home Ministry, Khandaker Md Mahabubur Rahman, Political and Economic Counselor of the US Embassy, Eric Geelan, Political Military Affairs Officer Josh Pope, among others, were present at the meeting.