Major diplomatic reshuffle likely

The government is preparing a major reshuffle in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with several senior diplomats likely to be appointed to key positions at home and abroad to align the diplomatic service with the priorities of the new administration, according to ministry sources.

Sources said Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, is being considered for the post of foreign secretary. He is expected to succeed incumbent Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam.

Asad Alam Siam, in turn, is likely to be appointed Bangladesh’s next High Commissioner to India, the sources said.

They added that Bangladesh’s current High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, may be posted as Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva.

The current Permanent Representative in Geneva, Nahida Sobhan, is expected to become Rector of the Foreign Service Academy.

Meanwhile, the academy’s current Rector, Mohammad Abdul Muhith, is likely to be appointed Bangladesh’s next High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

The government has also decided to appoint noted human rights advocate Irene Khan as Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, according to the sources.

She is expected to assume the post before the UN General Assembly session begins in September, replacing Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury.

If the proposed appointments are finalised, they will mark one of the most significant reorganisations of Bangladesh’s diplomatic leadership in recent years.

The appointments have not yet been officially announced by the government. The report is based on information from ministry sources.