Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam is set to move to New Delhi soon as the country’s new High Commissioner to India after the Indian government cleared his appointment, paving the way for a key diplomatic change at a time when the two neighbours are seeking to reset ties.
India cleared the agreement, the host country’s formal approval for the appointment of a foreign envoy, on Tuesday (September 22) morning after a process lasting a little over two months. The formal appointment process is now under way between New Delhi and Dhaka.
Siam is currently in New York as part of the Bangladesh delegation accompanying Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. He is expected to take up his New Delhi assignment soon after completing the necessary formalities.
He will succeed M Riaz Hamidullah, Bangladesh’s current High Commissioner to India, who is expected to move to Geneva as Dhaka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office there.
With Siam moving to Delhi, Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, the immediate past Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, is expected to be appointed the country’s next Foreign Secretary.
Siam has served as Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary since June 20, 2025. A career diplomat, he joined the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1995 and has held several senior assignments at home and abroad.
Before becoming Foreign Secretary, Siam served as Bangladesh’s Ambassador to the United States, with concurrent accreditation to Guyana, and represented the country at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. He earlier served as ambassador to Austria and the Philippines and held diplomatic assignments in Milan, Manchester, Jakarta and Bangkok. He has also represented Bangladesh at UN organisations in Vienna and the OPEC Fund.
At the foreign ministry in Dhaka, Siam has served as Inspector General of Missions, Rector of the Foreign Service Academy, Chief of Protocol and Director General of the Europe and European Union Wing.
His posting to New Delhi comes as India and Bangladesh work to improve bilateral relations after a period of strain following the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. The two countries are also discussing a possible visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India, his first since taking office in February this year.
Noman Chowdhury, who is expected to succeed Siam as Foreign Secretary, joined the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1998. He served as Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Nepal from 2020 to 2024 and has previously worked at the country’s missions in New Delhi, New York and Islamabad, giving him experience in several of Dhaka’s key diplomatic postings.