The current Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, Asad Alam Siam. File
| Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
The current Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, Asad Alam Siam, will be the next High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India. Bangladesh on Tuesday (September 22, 2026) received the Indian diplomatic document — agrément — that will pave the way for Mr. Siam to take charge of the High Commission of Bangladesh in New Delhi in the coming weeks.
The appointment of Foreign Secretary Siam has taken place against the backdrop of negotiations between New Delhi and Dhaka for a possible India visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman sometime in November. Mr. Rahman was earlier invited to visit Delhi for the BRICS summit, but the visit could not take place over tough exchanges that broke out after deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a virtual press interaction on August 5.
Mr. Siam will succeed Riaz Hamidullah, who was posted here in 2025 during the interim administration headed by Prof. Mohammed Yunus. The fifteen-month period under Prof. Yunus posed a challenge to bilateral relations, as relations remained caught in a cold frame over multiple issues including the presence of Ms. Hasina on Indian soil.
The coming months are crucial, as the year-end is when the three-decade-old Ganga Water Agreement is expected to expire, and both sides held a round of discussions earlier this year for renewal of the treaty, though the last phase of meetings is yet to be held. That said, bilateral relations that nosedived after August 5, 2024 will require multiple steps, such as normalisation of visa facilities and elimination of restrictive trade practices that India had imposed in May 2025.
Published – September 22, 2026 04:13 pm IST
