The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, New Delhi

Adviser for LGRD and Cooperatives Anwarul Iqbal yesterday reiterated Bangladesh's resolve on regional cooperation in maintaining peace and security, combating criminality and countering terrorism in all forms and manifestations.

Addressing the 2nd meeting of the SAARC Home Ministers here, he said Bangladesh took a lead role at the 13th SAARC Summit held in November, 2005 in taking a decision to hold the SAARC Home Ministers' and Home Secretaries' meeting on an annual basis.

The Indian Home Minister widely appreciated Bangladesh's leadership in guiding the process since the first meeting of the SAARC Home Ministers. The Adviser, leading a nine-member Bangladesh delegation, apprised the meeting of various measures undertaken by the Bangladesh government to counter terrorism, narcotic drugs and various related criminal acts.

In this context, he referred to the rapidly rising use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances as well as their adverse effect on the youth and stressed the need for vigorous regional response in containing cross-border movement of drugs across the region.

The 2nd Home Ministers' Meeting was chaired by Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil and attended by the ministers from Afghanistan, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The meeting took a number of decisions to deepen cooperation in addressing the regional security challenges and approved reports of the preceding 2nd meeting of the SAARC home secretaries held on October 24 and the 6th SAARC Conference of Police held on October 23.

As per the decisions, an expert group will meet in Islamabad in February next to further develop an electronic network of the police authorities across the SAARC countries, strengthen the infrastructure of two SAARC desks on Necrotic Drugs and Terrorism, located in Colombo, ensure real- time sharing of information of terrorist acts and seizure of narcotic drugs.

Besides, the SAARC police chiefs will henceforth meet twice a year to expedite cooperation in areas including police investigation, training and other aspects of mutual interest.

During the meeting, they also discussed how best the countries could undertake the police training in investigation techniques and the facilities existing in different countries as well as the measures to combat synthetic drugs.

All countries at the meeting agreed to take steps to contain different forms of cyber crimes in the region. The meeting also considered the proposal of having a SAARC convention on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters as it recommended that the legal experts would meet in Colombo by April next to further examine the draft convention.

It was further decided that the 3rd meeting of SAARC Home Ministers and Secretaries would be held in Pakistan towards the end of 2008, while Maldives would host the 4th meeting in 2009.

Besides, it was decided at the meeting that the 7th conference of SAARC police chiefs would be held in Pakistan in February, 2008.