Bangladesh will arrange an international conference next week focusing on how to fight violent extremism, terrorism and organised crimes through cooperation between different nations.

The high-profile conference, first of its kind to be organised here between March 12 and 14, will be attended by the secretary general of Interpol and police chiefs of 14 countries, including seven South Asian countries. There they will discuss a way to share information about militants, financial crime and offences related to terrorist financing.

“We are expecting to develop a common strategy to combat transnational crime and violent extremism and form a common platform to enhance cooperation between chiefs of police of the region,” AKM Sahidur Rahman, deputy inspector general (media) of the police headquarters, told The Daily Star.

Bangladesh police are hoping to get a clear idea about the recent trends of crimes that pose immense threats to the region, he added. 

The government took up the measure at a time when militancy has become a matter of grave concern with rising militant and terrorist attacks in recent years. Bangladesh faced the worst-ever terrorist attack at the highly secured diplomatic zone in the capital's Gulshan last year.

The three-day conference is expected to encourage an exchange of information and best practices to fight terrorism and transitional crime and to expand the professional network and strategic alliance among law enforcement agencies of this region.

That would in turn help law enforcers here track down militants, who took refuge in South Asian and neighbouring countries, and Bangladeshi nationals who had been radicalised in other countries, top police officials said. 

A number of Bangladeshis were radicalised after they had gone to Malaysia. Some of them are believed to have fled to Syria to join Islamic State.

Investigations also reveal that militants after coming from other countries entice many people here into extremism.

The conference may form a trans-national crime unit (TCU) to share information about these issues linked to extremism, according to sources in the police headquarters.

Bringing back Bangabandhu's killers, human trafficking, drug trafficking and illegal arms trade will get top priority for discussion, according to the concept paper of the conference.

Members of law enforcement agencies of Afghanistan, Australia, Bhutan, Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, South Korea, Sri-Lanka and Vietnam would join the conference.

Bangladesh also invited the other South Asian nation, Pakistan, to the conference but it didn't give any response.  

Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock, Facebook Trust and Safety Manager Vikrarm Lengeh, Asian Pole Executive Director Yohanes Agus Mulyono, IGCI (Interpol Global Complex for Innovation) Head of Protocol and Conference Sin Lee Chua, and Gray Barr, director of International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Programme, are supposed to attend the conference.

Organisers said Bangladesh would seek assistance from Stock in bringing back Lt Col SHMB Noor Chowhdury from Canada and Lt Col AM Rashed Chowdhury from the USA.

Bangladesh will also request Stock to track down other killers of Bangabandhu -- Lt Col Shariful Hoque Dalim, Lt Col Abdur Rashid, Capt Abdul Mazed and Resalder Mosle Uddin -- by forming a special taskforce.

Bangladesh police will seek help from the police chief of Afghanistan in ensuring that no militant come to Bangladesh from that country.

Besides, Indian chief of police will be asked to shut down illegal Phensedyl factories in India and Myanmar police chief to stop yaba factories set up near the border between Myanmar and Bangladesh.

During talks with Myanmar, Bangladesh will also raise the issue of 13 Bangladeshis languishing in Myanmar jail from 2014. Myanmar authorities were informed of the matter on October 29 that year and then reminded of it in March next year but no response has yet been received from that side.

Bangladesh would also hold bilateral talks with Malaysia, Sri-Lanka and Brunei on the sideline of the conference.

Sources in the police headquarters said the foreign delegates are supposed to arrive in Dhaka on March 11. Special measures have already been taken to ensure their safety.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal will inaugurate the conference at Sonargaon Hotel, while Foreign Minister AH Mahmud Ali will be the chief guest in the concluding session.