A major diplomatic reshuffle is on the cards, with Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, set to become the country's next foreign secretary and noted human rights expert Irene Khan expected to succeed him at the UN, according to Foreign Ministry sources.
Officials said the appointment process is in its final stages, with the necessary notifications likely to be issued soon.
Current Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, who assumed office on June 20 last year, is expected to be appointed Bangladesh's high commissioner to India as part of the reshuffle. If the changes go ahead, Bangladesh will have its third foreign secretary in the past 21 months.
A Foreign Ministry official told Dhaka Tribune that Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury's appointment has already been finalized and the official notification could be issued at any time.
The reshuffle is also expected to see Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Riaz Hamidullah appointed permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva. Nahida Sobhan, the current permanent representative in Geneva, is likely to return to Dhaka as rector of the Foreign Service Academy.
The academy's current rector, Mohammad Abdul Muhith, is expected to become Bangladesh's high commissioner to the United Kingdom.
AKM Wahiduzzaman, the BNP's secretary for information and technology affairs, is also expected to be appointed deputy permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, according to ministry sources.
Separately, former principal staff officer of the Armed Forces Division, Lit Gen SM Kamrul Hasan, has been appointed Bangladesh's ambassador to Portugal.
