Bangladesh names Asad Alam Siam as next high commissioner to India

Bangladesh has appointed Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam as its next high commissioner to India after receiving New Delhi's consent. The move is being read as a sign that both sides want to steady and improve bilateral ties.Stock photo used for illustrationBangladesh Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam is set to become the country’s new high commissioner to India after Dhaka received New Delhi’s formal consent for his appointment, a foreign ministry official said on Tuesday.Siam, a career diplomat and Bangladesh’s senior-most foreign service officer, will replace M Riaz Hamidullah. Hamidullah has been appointed Bangladesh’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva.A foreign ministry official familiar with the development said, "We have received the Indian consent for his appointment as the high commissioner there," and added that the ministry was expected to issue a statement by Wednesday. Hours earlier, Bangladesh High Commission spokesman in New Delhi Saidur Rahman had confirmed the development, saying India’s external affairs ministry had issued the formal consent for Siam’s appointment.Siam joined the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1995. Before becoming the foreign ministry’s top bureaucrat in June 2025, he served as Bangladesh’s ambassador to the United States. He had earlier also served as the country’s ambassador to Australia. Foreign ministry officials had earlier said Dhaka decided to send its senior-most diplomat to India after New Delhi appointed former Union minister and political figure Dinesh Trivedi as its envoy to Bangladesh with the same status in April this year. India-Bangladesh ties saw a downturn during the 18-month tenure of the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, which took charge after a student-led uprising toppled the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024.Several political analysts said India’s appointment of Trivedi and Dhaka’s decision to send Siam to New Delhi could be seen as signals from both countries to normalise relations. With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 22, 2026 23:56 IST