The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) jointly organized a national consultation on Wednesday to develop a cooperation framework for identifying key needs and priority areas in tackling transnational crimes and challenges.
The cooperation framework dubbed ‘The Dhaka Roadmap’ is first of its kind initiative that would take the partnership to a strategic level.
This will serve as the basis for future engagement, technical assistance, and cooperation between the Government of Bangladesh and UNODC to respond to the needs and priorities related to the organized crimes prevention programs of Bangladesh, the foreign ministry said.
The consultation was aimed at developing a cooperation framework to identify key needs, priority areas in tackling organized crimes and the challenges associated with them.
Foreign Secretary Masud bin Momen inaugurated the national consultation as chief guest.
The inauguration ceremony was also attended by the senior secretary of the Public Security Division, the secretary of the Law and Justice Division, secretary of the Anti-Corruption Commission, UN resident coordinator and the regional representative of UNODC Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA).
Foreign Secretary Momen, in his remarks, underscored that the father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman envisioned a corruption-free, exploitation-free and hunger-free Sonar Bangla.
He underscored Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s unwavering commitment to combat corruption, terrorism, violent extremism, abuses of drug, trafficking in persons and strengthen criminal justice response in her journey to materialize Bangabandhu’s vision.
He underlined the need for further collaboration with regional and international partners to enhance capacity building, intelligence sharing, accountability of perpetrators and beneficiaries in combating human trafficking, corruption, drug trafficking and abuse, terrorism and violent extremism in all its manifestations.
“Enhanced collaboration and partnership will complement the robust efforts already undertaken by the Government of Bangladesh to combat the organized crimes”, he emphasized.
UN resident coordinator, in her remarks, underpinned that keeping pace with macro-economic development, Bangladesh government doubled its efforts to tackle organized crimes and associated challenges.
