LAHORE: Bangladesh’s Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs and head of the visiting civil services delegation, Nasim-ul-Ghani, has said that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Civil Services Academies of Pakistan and Bangladesh will soon be signed, describing the development as a major step in strengthening institutional ties between the two South Asian countries.
Speaking to The News after addressing probationary officers of the 48th Special Training Programme (STP) at the Pakistan Civil Services Academy in Lahore, the senior secretary said that both countries were moving “in the right direction” and would increasingly benefit from each other’s experiences. He stressed that Bangladesh stood ready to provide assistance to Pakistan wherever required, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, digital governance and disaster management, while at the same time learning from Pakistan’s expertise in various emerging sectors.
Mr Ghani praised Pakistan’s civil servants as highly capable, intelligent and fully prepared to manage the responsibilities of governance. He remarked that their competence reassured him about the resilience of Pakistan’s state institutions, noting that Bangladesh also looked forward to drawing upon their experiences in suitable fields. While acknowledging that Pakistan and Bangladesh operate in different socio-economic contexts, he emphasised that the problems confronting both nations were often similar in nature. Poverty alleviation, disaster preparedness, service delivery and governance reforms were challenges that both states shared, he said, adding that constructive dialogue and knowledge-sharing would allow them to build on each other’s strengths. He cited the example of flood management, pointing out that Bangladesh had shared its disaster preparedness practices with Pakistani counterparts during the current visit, while Dhaka was keen to study Pakistan’s advances in artificial intelligence and administrative reforms.
During his talk to the probationary officers, the visiting delegation chief gave a detailed account of the functioning of Bangladesh’s civil service and fielded questions from the trainees. He placed particular emphasis on the values of dignity, honesty, integrity and an unwavering commitment to public service, reminding the officers that the ultimate purpose of civil service is to create value for the people. Governance without dignity or honesty, he warned, risks eroding public trust, while a focus on service to humanity gives legitimacy to state institutions in the eyes of citizens.
Mr Ghani further deepened his address by invoking verses from the Holy Quran, urging the young officers to anchor their careers in the commandments of God Almighty and to remain mindful of divine accountability. He reminded them that on the Day of Judgment every act, every decision and every official duty performed would be subject to reckoning. “Our responsibilities are not only to the state but also to humanity itself,” he said, cautioning them to never forget that civil service is a moral as well as professional duty.
In his exclusive conversation with The News, the Bangladeshi official said that meeting Pakistan’s young officers had convinced him that the country’s future was in strong and capable hands. “Your sons and daughters are well-prepared to take on the challenges ahead,” he remarked. He reiterated his country’s willingness to support Pakistan in new technological domains and described the forthcoming MoU as a foundation for deeper cooperation in governance, capacity-building and administrative training.
Concluding his visit, Mr Ghani extended warm wishes to the probationary officers for their future careers, reminding them that civil service was not just a job but a golden opportunity to serve humanity. He advised them to embrace integrity, compassion and honesty as guiding principles, saying that they had before them a rare chance to make a lasting difference in people’s lives. His message, blending professional guidance with moral counsel, was warmly received by the officers, who described the interaction as both inspiring and thought-provoking.
The visit of the Bangladeshi delegation, coupled with the announcement of the forthcoming memorandum of understanding, was viewed as an encouraging step towards institutional collaboration between the two countries, setting the stage for stronger bilateral engagement in governance, training and public administration.