India ‘holding up’ approval of BD envoy to Delhi

India has yet to give formal approval to Bangladesh for the appointment of Asad Alam Siam as Dhaka’s next high commissioner in New Delhi, Indian media outlet ThePrint reports. Dhaka began efforts to appoint new high commissioners and ambassadors in July.

A month has passed since Delhi's approval was sought to appoint Siam. Without that approval, he cannot be formally announced as high commissioner.

According to Article 4 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, "the sending State must make certain that the agrément [approval] of the receiving State has been given for the person it proposes to accredit as head of the mission to that State".

India is not required to state its reasons for any rejections. The process is kept private to prevent public incidents.

bdnews24.com has reached out to the Bangladesh government for comment on the issue.

Current Bangladeshi High Commissioner to India M Riaz Hamidullah is expected to take up the post of permanent representative of Bangladesh to the UN around mid-October.

Siam was appointed as the foreign secretary of Bangladesh by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in 2025. He had previously served as the country's ambassador to the US, and is one of the senior-most career diplomats in the foreign service.

The hold-up of his appointment comes amid frostiness in relations between the neighbouring countries.

Recently, Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had turned down a visit to New Delhi to attend the BRICS Leaders Summit.

No representatives from Bangladesh attended the meeting.

India had recently extended two invitations to Tarique for a visit - one for a state visit, and the other to the BRICS Summit.

Following a press briefing made by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina from Delhi on Aug 5, the anniversary of her ousting from power in 2024. She had fled to India in the face of a student-led mass uprising.
Diplomatic relations between the neighbours chilled after an interim government led by Yunus took over.

India had appointed Dinesh Trivedi, a politician and a former minister as its high commissioner to Bangladesh earlier this year. Trivedi took up the post in June.    �"bdnews24