'Envoy’s recall ahead of PM’s Japan visit an internal matter'

Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Japan, Daud Ali, has been recalled to Dhaka ahead of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s upcoming visit to Tokyo, amid reports of Japanese concerns over language in a recent Bangladesh-China joint statement.

The Foreign Ministry issued the directive on October 15, keeping the ambassador away from preparations for the prime minister’s October 26�"29 visit. Foreign Ministry Secretary Md Nazrul Islam has been sent to Tokyo to oversee the final preparations.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said the decision was an internal matter of the Foreign Ministry.

“The decision to bring Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan Md Daud Ali back in Dhaka during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s upcoming visit to Japan is an internal matter of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” she told reporters after an event at the CIRDAP auditorium on Topkhana Road in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon.

Diplomatic sources said Tokyo’s discomfort centred on a paragraph in the joint statement issued during Prime Minister Rahman’s visit to China last June. The statement referred to the “international system established after World War II” and opposed the “resurgence of fascism and militarism”�"language reportedly viewed by Japan as historically sensitive and directed at itself.

Japanese officials reportedly believe Daud Ali, regarded as an expert on China, played a key role in drafting the contentious passage. His exclusion from preparations for the Japan visit has raised questions among current and former diplomats about the timing and handling of the decision.

Sources also suggested that Japan may be seeking assurances of confidentiality as the two countries negotiate several long-term agreements. However, the precise reasons for the ambassador’s recall have not been officially disclosed.

The decision has prompted questions over why any concerns about the envoy were not raised earlier, given his role in coordinating a high-level bilateral visit.

A career diplomat from the 15th BCS Foreign Affairs cadre, Daud Ali has previously been recalled under politically sensitive circumstances. In 2009, while serving in London, he was brought back following allegations that he had assisted then-opposition leader Tarique Rahman.

The ambassador took charge in Tokyo last December and is due to begin post-retirement leave (PRL) on December 7.
His recall comes ahead of a significant bilateral engagement, with Bangladesh seeking to maintain relations with both China and Japan, two important Asian partners.