New Delhi yet to clear Dhaka’s envoy
Ties between Bangladesh and India continue to face strain, with New Delhi yet to give its formal approval for the appointment of Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam as Dhaka’s next high commissioner in New Delhi, The Print reports.
Dhaka sought India’s agrément for Siam more than a month ago, but the approval has yet to come.
Without the host country’s consent, Bangladesh cannot formally announce the appointment.
The delay comes as the two neighbours navigate a period of diplomatic chill, with several developments highlighting the strain in bilateral relations.
Bangladesh began the process of appointing new high commissioners and ambassadors to various foreign missions in July.
Siam’s proposed posting to New Delhi is among the appointments awaiting completion.
The current Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, M Riaz Hamidullah, is expected to leave the post around mid-October to take up his new assignment as Bangladesh’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva.
Siam was appointed foreign secretary by the interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus last year.
Before assuming the foreign secretary’s post, he served as Bangladesh’s ambassador to the United States.
The delay in New Delhi’s approval comes against the backdrop of cooling Bangladesh-India relations, with diplomatic issues and differences continuing to shape ties between the two countries.
The latest development follows Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s absence from the 18th BRICS Summit held in New Delhi on 12-13 September.
He had been invited by India to attend the summit in his capacity as the current chairman of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec).
The pending agrément means the transition at Bangladesh’s diplomatic mission in New Delhi remains uncertain, as the outgoing high commissioner prepares for his next assignment.
The appointment of a high commissioner is subject to the host country’s prior approval, known as agrément, before it can be officially announced.
