Bangladesh's interim govt recalls envoys from five nations, including India

Bangladesh's interim government has recalled envoys from five countries, including India, the UN, and Australia

Bangladesh's interim government announced a major reshuffle on Wednesday, recalling envoys from five countries, including its High Commissioner to India.

The diplomats being summoned back to Dhaka are Mustafizur Rahman, High Commissioner to India; Muhammad Abdul Muhith, Permanent Representative to the United Nations; M Allama Siddiqui, High Commissioner to Australia; Mahbub Hassan Saleh, Ambassador to Belgium; and Rezina Ahmed, Ambassador to Portugal.
 

The #Bangladesh foreign ministry has recalled five envoys, including the one from India, to return to Dhaka. The other four are from Australia, Belgium, Portugal, and the UN. pic.twitter.com/CGl4bCF6Au

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 3, 2024

According to a report by Hindustan Times, sources said that Bangladesh's foreign ministry may have issued the recall due to dissatisfaction within the foreign service. These diplomats were not political appointees, which could have contributed to the decision.

 

This development occurs amid strained relations between India and Bangladesh, following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in early August due to student-led protests. Shortly after Sheikh Hasina's resignation and departure to India, an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took charge.

Foreign Affairs advisor Mohammed Touhid Hossain recently emphasised the importance of maintaining "good working relations" between Bangladesh and India. The two nations share over 4,000 km of land borders, along with maritime boundaries in the Bay of Bengal.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh is grappling with political instability following Sheikh Hasina's resignation on August 5 amid growing protests. Hasina, who left Bangladesh on a military aircraft the same day, is currently residing in India.

Mustafizur Rahman, High Commissioner to India, a career diplomat appointed in July 2022, previously served as Bangladesh’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva and as ambassador to Switzerland and Singapore. He has been instrumental in advancing development cooperation and strengthening relations between Bangladesh and India.

In another development, India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, met Bangladesh’s de facto foreign minister Touhid Hossain in Dhaka on Wednesday to discuss bilateral relations. The discussion also included the activation of regular bilateral mechanisms, according to a statement from the Bangladeshi side.

(With agency inputs)