Envoy Daud stays in Dhaka as PM heads to Tokyo

Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Japan, Md Daud Ali, has been instructed to remain in Dhaka during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s official visit to Tokyo next week, in an unusual diplomatic development ahead of a high-level engagement.

Multiple diplomatic and government sources said Daud had returned
to Dhaka on instructions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and would not be present in Tokyo during the prime minister’s visit from October 26 to 29.

In his absence, Foreign Affairs Ministry Secretary (Bilateral) Md Nazrul Islam has been sent to Japan with special responsibility for overseeing diplomatic coordination and assisting with arrangements for the visit. He arrived in Tokyo on Wednesday, according to diplomatic sources.

The ministry has not publicly announced Daud’s removal from his ambassadorial post or disclosed an official reason for keeping him away during the visit.

It also remains unclear whether he will return to Tokyo after the prime minister’s departure or be reassigned, sources said.

The development has drawn attention because the presence of a serving ambassador is generally considered important during an official visit by a head of government, particularly when bilateral talks are expected to cover major economic and strategic interests.

Senior officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Daud had been called back to Dhaka but declined to explain the circumstances behind the decision.

Diplomatic sources said the Foreign Ministry issued a letter on October 15 asking Daud to return to Dhaka within two days for consultations related to the prime minister’s visit. He complied with the instruction and has since remained in the capital.

Several senior ministry officials told local media that, although Daud was initially summoned for consultations, he was not subsequently involved in preparations for the visit.

A government official described the decision to recall a serving ambassador ahead of a major overseas engagement as unusual but said they could not explain the reason.

No formal announcement has indicated whether the move amounts to a permanent recall, a temporary administrative arrangement or a precursor to a change in his diplomatic posting.

However, the instruction barring Daud from participating in the prime minister’s visit, combined with the appointment of another senior diplomat to oversee arrangements in Tokyo, has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the decision.

As of Thursday, the Bangladesh Embassy in Tokyo continued to identify Daud as ambassador on its official website.

The website lists his diplomatic role and describes the embassy’s work as covering development cooperation, trade, investment, science and technology, skills development and people-to-people exchanges.

Nazrul Islam, who has been assigned to Tokyo for the duration of the visit, is expected to oversee bilateral coordination and provide diplomatic support to the visiting delegation.

Both Daud and Nazrul belong to the 15th batch of the Bangladesh Civil Service’s foreign affairs cadre.

The assignment places a senior Foreign Ministry official directly in charge of coordinating key diplomatic aspects of the visit while the serving ambassador remains in Dhaka.

Daud is a career diplomat who joined the Foreign Ministry in November 1995. Over nearly three decades, he has served in several overseas postings, including Tokyo, Pretoria and London.

He also served as consul general in Kunming, China, and director general of the ministry’s Consular and Welfare Wing.

Before his appointment to Japan, he served as Bangladesh’s ambassador to Romania, with concurrent accreditation to Moldova, North Macedonia and Bulgaria.

He was appointed to the Romanian posting in March 2020, during the Awami League government.

Daud assumed his current posting in Tokyo following the fall of the Awami League government.

He holds a master’s degree in applied mathematics from Rajshahi University, which he obtained in 1989.

No official explanation has been given for the timing of his return to Dhaka. There is also no publicly confirmed information establishing whether his previous diplomatic assignments or the change of government played any role in the decision.

The development comes at a critical point in Bangladesh-Japan relations, with Dhaka seeking greater Japanese investment, expanded market access and stronger economic cooperation.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, are scheduled to undertake an official working visit to Japan from October 26 to 29 at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

The two leaders are scheduled to hold bilateral talks on October 27, followed by a luncheon hosted by Takaichi.

Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam said at a briefing in Dhaka on October 20 that the visit would focus on strengthening the strategic partnership, attracting new Japanese investment, expanding trade and accelerating development projects.

The visit is also expected to include engagements with Japanese business leaders and institutions involved in investment, development finance and trade promotion.

Japan is a major development partner of Bangladesh, with cooperation spanning infrastructure, transport, energy and industrial development.

Japanese-backed projects include Dhaka’s metro rail system and infrastructure development at Matarbari, making bilateral ties important to Bangladesh’s long-term economic ambitions.