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India has formally given its consent, or agrément, to Bangladesh’s appointment of Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam as the country’s next High Commissioner to New Delhi, diplomatic sources said on Tuesday.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs informed Bangladesh of the approval on September 22, clearing the way for Siam’s appointment.
The Indian government has also handed over a copy of the agrément in Dhaka.
Siam will succeed M Riaz Hamidullah, who has been appointed Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva.
Bangladesh proposed Siam’s appointment to India in July, but New Delhi’s formal approval had been pending for more than a month.
A career diplomat who joined the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1995, Siam has served as Bangladesh’s ambassador to the United States, Austria and the Philippines.
He was also the country’s first consul general in Milan and held several senior diplomatic and foreign ministry positions.
Siam has served as foreign secretary since June 2025. His appointment as High Commissioner is expected to take effect within the next few weeks.
The appointment comes as Dhaka and New Delhi seek to strengthen bilateral diplomatic engagement following a period of strained relations.
