Bangladesh Govt Recalls its 5 Envoys Including High Commissioner in India

Dhaka: On Wednesday, October 2, the Bangladesh government issued a notice to its envoys stationed in New Delhi to return to Dhaka as part of its ongoing changes in the country's mission abroad.

The government also asked envoys deployed in Brussels, Canberra, Lisbon and Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York to return immediately.

As per the notice, the Foreign Ministry asked the individuals to relinquish their current responsibilities and return to the headquarters.

The notice states that the ambassadors/high commissioners who have been asked to report to headquarters are- Mustafizur Rahman, high commissioner of Bangladesh to India; Muhammad Abdul Muhith, ambassador and permanent representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations (UN) in New York; Mahbub Hassan Saleh, ambassador of Bangladesh to Belgium; M Allama Siddiqui, Bangladesh high commissioner to Australia; and Rezina Ahmed, ambassador of Bangladesh to Portugal.

"You have been requested to return to Dhaka, leaving your current responsibility immediately," the notification read.

Earlier this week, the Bangladesh High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Saida Muna Tasbeen was also asked to the Dhaka.

This development comes as India- Bangladesh relations are at a low, after the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government in early August following months-long protests led by student organisations.

The administration is currently being led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who assumed office days after Hasina stepped down and fled to India. 

The caretaker has made persistent efforts to seek a meeting between Yunus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last month, the people said. 

'Willing to Build Good Relations by Setting Aside 1971': B'desh Adviser to Pakistan

In the latest developments, Bangladesh 's foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain said that the country is willing to maintain good relations with Pakistan but not at the cost of the 1971 horror.

"I think relations will be easier if they (Pak govt ) show the courage to refer to what happened in 1971 and say that they are seeking to apologise for it," he said

"It was a courtesy meeting... When we sit for a discussion, we will raise the difficult issues," the foreign affairs adviser said. "The current govt did not indicate in any way that Bangladesh is willing to build good relations by setting aside 1971. What happened in 1971 is always in our hearts."