The team that has recently submitted the report also found that he had indulged in corruption
Bangladesh Ambassador to Greece Golam Mohammad was found guilty of sexually harassing a Bangladeshi-origin Greek lady who works for International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Greece.
The three-member investigation team led by Maritime Affairs Unit Secretary Khurshed Alam conducted the probe when the lady brought the allegation a couple of months ago.
The team that has recently submitted the report also found that he had indulged in corruption, officials said.
“It is almost sure that he would be called back,” said an official of the ministry. The foreign secretary put forward his recommendation based on the report to the foreign minister for the final decision, according to the officials.
The minister and the secretary are the administrative authorities to determine the magnitude – major or minor – of the wrongdoing of any official.
The government received an allegation from the Bangladeshi-origin Greek lady and took it into cognisance and sent the probe team in August.
The lady alleged that she was sexually harassed when she went to the ambassador’s residence on an invitation.
The victim sent a letter elaborating her ordeals to her IOM mission head in Greece which was forwarded to the ministry for taking appropriate action.
In the letter, the victim said when she repeatedly rejected his indecent proposals; the ambassador threatened her with dire consequences.
In recent years, at least four ambassadors have been recalled from their positions, due to massive financial irregularities or allegations of sexual harassment.
In July, the foreign ministry recalled Bangladesh Ambassador to Lebanon AFM Gousul Azam Sarker due to his failure to run the mission properly.
The ministry also recalled several other ambassadors for their gross misconduct like financial irregularities and allegations of sexual harassment in the last couple of years.
Bangladesh withdrew the Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan AKM Majibur Rahman Bhuiyan, when a Japanese woman working at its Tokyo mission alleged that she was sexually harassed by him.
Former Bangladesh Ambassador to Uzbekistan Hasib Aziz was sent into forced retirement when he married a foreign woman without the consent of the president of Bangladesh.
Former Bangladesh Ambassador to the Philippines Majeda Rafiq Unnesa was recalled as the government found massive financial irregularities in the Manila mission. She is facing corruption charges by the Anti-Corruption Commission. She has later been made an OSD (Officer on Special Duty) at the ministry.
Md Shamsul Haque was also involved in financial irregularities while he was the Bangladesh Consul General in New York and is also facing charges brought against him by the ACC.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
