EU ambassador meets home minister, discusses reform, cooperation

The European Union (EU)’s ambassador to Bangladesh, Michael Miller, met Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Monday for discussions spanning police reform, judicial independence and broader areas of bilateral cooperation.

The meeting, held at the Ministry of Home Affairs in Dhaka, focused on strengthening collaboration in sectors including security, migration management, anti-corruption efforts and trade, according to an official statement.

Welcoming the envoy, the home minister thanked the European Union for its continued engagement, while Miller congratulated him on assuming office and reaffirmed the bloc’s role as a longstanding development partner of Bangladesh. 

He expressed interest in deepening ties during the current government’s tenure.

On police reform, Salahuddin Ahmed said the government is considering the formation of a Police Commission and suggested the EU could contribute through technical consultancy. 

He noted that the bloc has already shown willingness to support the modernisation of Bangladesh’s law enforcement agencies through training and capacity-building initiatives.

Judicial independence also featured prominently in the talks. Miller pointed to the EU’s institutional experience in maintaining independent judicial systems, suggesting Bangladesh could draw from those practices. 

The minister reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring judicial autonomy.

Addressing governance challenges, the EU ambassador emphasised the importance of a comprehensive anti-corruption framework and offered technical and strategic assistance. 

In response, the minister instructed officials to identify priority areas for collaboration and maintain close coordination with EU counterparts.

Senior officials from the ministry, including additional and joint secretaries, as well as members of the EU delegation, were present during the meeting.