Bangladesh Pledges Stronger Law Enforcement to Combat Tech-Driven Crime
Bangladesh’s Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has announced plans to enhance the capabilities of law enforcement agencies to tackle technology-driven crimes in the current era.
He made the announcement while participating in a discussion titled “National Commitments/Pledges on Combating Fraud” at a special session of the Global Fraud Summit 2026.
Speaking as a panelist at the high-level session held on Monday, 16 March, at the Vienna International Centre in Austria, the minister said Bangladesh is placing special emphasis on identifying and combating crimes driven by Artificial Intelligence.
“Now, there is no place for criminals in the new Bangladesh. We are committed not only domestically but also globally to combating crime by adhering to international conventions and protocols,” he said.
In his remarks, the Home Minister highlighted the growing challenges posed by digital scams, MLM Ponzi schemes, and corporate corruption in Bangladesh.
He noted that between 2006 and 2021, fraudulent activities of this nature caused an estimated financial loss of Tk 21,000 crore in the country. He also expressed deep concern over recent incidents in which large sums of money were allegedly taken from the public through MTFE and various controversial e-commerce platforms.
High-level representatives from different countries attending the session praised Bangladesh’s specific initiatives and its technology-driven strategies for combating modern crimes.
During the seminar, Salahuddin Ahmed reiterated the Bangladesh government’s strict “zero tolerance” policy against terrorism, drugs, human trafficking, and corruption, underscoring the government’s firm stance on national security and crime suppression.
In his address, he also outlined Bangladesh’s specific measures to prevent money laundering and financial fraud. He identified the banking, non-banking financial institutions, real estate, and jewelry sectors as “high-risk” areas for money laundering and pledged to strengthen monitoring in these sectors. He said strict oversight mechanisms are being implemented to ensure transparency and accountability.
Referring to Bangladesh’s robust legal framework for combating financial crimes, the minister said the government is committed to bringing offenders to justice through the maximum and effective enforcement of the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2012 and the Mutual Legal Assistance Act 2012. He also stressed the importance of global legal cooperation to tackle international criminal networks.
DBTech/FH/EK/OR
