Muhammad Yunus-led Bangladesh government recalls its ambassador from India

Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of Bangladesh has ordered its ambassador to India to return back to the country immediately amid worsening bilateral ties.  

According to reports, Bangladesh has recalled its envoys from four other places namely Australia, Belgium, Portugal and the United Nations. The major diplomatic reshuffle follows the recall of Saida Muna Tasneem, the high commissioner to Britain, who was asked to return in a similar way. 

The recalled officials are Mustafizur Rahman, High Commissioner to India; Muhammad Abdul Muhith, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN in New York; Mahbub Hassan Saleh, Ambassador to Belgium; M Allama Siddiqui, High Commissioner to Australia; and Rezina Ahmed, Ambassador to Portugal. 

“The recalling of the envoys is part of a government decision under which our High Commissioner to India, Mustafizur Rahman, has been asked to return to the foreign ministry in Dhaka,” sources told PTI.  

The recall of envoy from India comes amid a nosedive in bilateral ties between the two nations since the ouster of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following the violent turn of ‘student-led’ protests. Hasina was forced to flee to India after resigning from her post on August 5. Yunus was appointed as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government on August 8 by the Bangladesh Army. 

In August, Dhaka had ordered its ambassadors to the United States, Russia, Germany, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the High Commissioner to the Maldives to return home. 

Several of these ambassadors were former diplomats or retired and serving civil and military officials appointed abroad by the deposed government. Bangladesh is yet to make any fresh appointments in these countries.