New envoys picked for Delhi, Washington, London

Former foreign secretary Syed Muazzem Ali is likely to be the next high commissioner in New Delhi while Ambassador-at-Large Mohammad Ziauddin is going to be posted to the Bangladesh mission in Washington.

Muazzem will replace Tariq A Karim, who became the Bangladesh High Commissioner in 2009. Zia replaces Akramul Qader, who was posted as the Bangladesh Ambassador to the US the same year.

Foreign secretary during 1999-2001, Muazzem joined the Pakistan Foreign Service in 1968.

In addition, former foreign secretary and current Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Mohamed Mijarul Quayes is likely to be the next ambassador to Brazil. Bangladesh Permanent Representative in Geneva Md Abdul Hannan will replace him.

The Bangladesh ambassador to Brazil, M Shameem Ahsan, who stood first in the 1984 BCS exams, is likely to be the next Permanent Representative in Geneva.

The decisions have been approved by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. After getting approval from the respective countries, they will be appointed as Bangladeshi envoys, said sources in the Foreign Ministry.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh ambassadors to China, Muhammad Azizul Haque, and South Korea, Md Enamul Kabir, are going on retirement this year.

The Foreign Ministry is likely to send its Chief of Protocol Khondkar M Talha as deputy chief of mission to the UK, while the director general of West Asia desk, Nazrul Islam, will be going to Saudi Arabia in the same post.

The government is going to appoint its high commissioner to Australia soon as the last envoy, Masud Uddin Chowdhury, returned to Dhaka last March.

Former foreign secretary M Touhid Hossain returned to Bangladesh earlier this year from South Africa. He will be replaced by Director General of administration at the Foreign Ministry M Allama Siddiki.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh ambassadors to Thailand, Kazi Imtiaz Hossain, and to Myanmar, Anup Kumar Chakma, are likely to be replaced as both of them completed their three year tenure.