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The Bangladesh government is set to implement a major reshuffle in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, just five months after the BNP administration assumed office.
The overhaul includes the appointment of a new foreign secretary, along with key diplomatic postings in New York, Delhi, London and Geneva.
Some of the appointments—particularly in New York and London—are being made on political considerations, according to officials.
A senior policymaker confirmed the developments, saying the changes are part of a broader realignment of Bangladesh’s diplomatic leadership.
Current Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, has been selected as the next foreign secretary.
Incumbent Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam is expected to be appointed Bangladesh’s next High Commissioner to India.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to India, M Riaz Hamidullah, will be reassigned as Permanent Representative in Geneva.
The current envoy in Geneva, Nahida Sobhan, is set to return to Dhaka as Rector of the Foreign Service Academy.
The government has also decided to appoint internationally renowned human rights activist Irene Khan as Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.
Khan, a former Secretary General of Amnesty International, is expected to assume her new role ahead of the UN General Assembly session in September.
In London, the long-vacant position of High Commissioner will be filled by Mohammad Abdul Muhith, a former Permanent Representative to the UN and current Rector of the Foreign Service Academy.
Officials indicated that the timing of these appointments is interconnected and likely to be coordinated with Irene Khan’s assumption of office in New York.
Additional diplomatic changes include the appointment of M Farhadul Islam as Bangladesh’s next ambassador to Mauritius, replacing Joki Ahad, who has been posted to Denmark.
Other recent appointments include Nur-e-Alam to Ireland, A F M Zahidul Islam to Argentina, and Lieutenant General SM Kamrul Hasan as ambassador to Portugal.
The government had earlier instructed four contract-based ambassadors appointed during the interim administration to return to Dhaka.
While envoys from Portugal, Poland and Mexico have complied, Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to the Maldives, Nazmul Islam, has remained in his post after seeking permission to continue.
Currently, Bangladesh’s ambassadorial positions in Singapore and Iran remain vacant.
The sweeping changes signal a significant shift in Bangladesh’s diplomatic strategy under the new government.
