Bangladesh recalls High Commissioner from India amid foreign policy shift

PTC Web Desk: Bangladesh has recalled its High Commissioner to India, Mustafizur Rahman, marking a potential shift in the country’s foreign policy after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s tenure ended on August 5, following widespread protests in Dhaka.

Rahman is one of six diplomats recalled from various international postings by the Bangladesh government. A letter signed by Mohammad Nazmul Haque, Director General of Administration at the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry, did not provide specific reasons for Rahman’s withdrawal but instructed him to return to Dhaka immediately.

In a separate development, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, recently shared on social media platform X about his meeting with Mohd Touhid Hossain, the Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Bangladesh government. Verma mentioned they discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations to meet the shared aspirations of both nations.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Hossain had a meeting during the UN General Assembly in New York last week. On August 5, Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka for India, landing at Hindon Air Base in New Delhi, shortly before an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Mohammad Yunus took over on August 8.

Along with Rahman, five other diplomats were recalled, including Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, Mohammad Abdul Muhith, and envoys to Belgium, the UK, Australia, and Portugal.