New Delhi: Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, one of the country’s most senior diplomats, is set to become its next High Commissioner to India after New Delhi granted formal approval for his appointment.
The agrément, or host-country consent required for the appointment of a head of mission, was conveyed to Bangladesh on Tuesday, clearing the way for Siam to move to New Delhi in the coming weeks. He is expected to replace M Riaz Hamidullah, who is set to take up Bangladesh’s next assignment as Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva.
Siam’s appointment comes at a significant point in India-Bangladesh relations, with both sides seeking to improve engagement after a period of strained ties. The move also comes as Dhaka and New Delhi are discussing a possible bilateral visit by Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India.
Foreign Secretary to Move Directly to Delhi
The appointment is notable because Siam is currently serving as Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary and is moving directly from the country’s top foreign-policy administrative position to its High Commission in New Delhi.
Siam joined the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1995 and has held several senior diplomatic assignments. He served as Bangladesh’s ambassador to the United States before becoming Foreign Secretary in June 2025. Earlier, he was ambassador to Austria from 2023 to 2024 and ambassador to the Philippines from 2017 to 2021. His other assignments have included postings in Milan, Manchester, Indonesia and Thailand, as well as responsibilities at Bangladesh’s foreign ministry headquarters.
He is currently accompanying Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in New York as part of the Bangladeshi delegation.
Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, Bangladesh’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, is expected to succeed Siam as Foreign Secretary.
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Appointment Comes Amid Efforts to Reset India-Bangladesh Ties
Siam will take charge in New Delhi at a time when India and Bangladesh are attempting to move their bilateral relationship towards greater engagement.
Relations had deteriorated following the ouster of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who remains in India. Dhaka has sought her extradition, while India has said the request is being examined under its legal framework. The issue remains among the matters affecting bilateral ties.
Indian officials have recently reiterated New Delhi’s stated interest in taking relations with Dhaka in a “positive, constructive and forward-looking” direction.
Siam’s move to New Delhi therefore comes as the two governments work through outstanding issues while seeking greater diplomatic engagement.
Tarique Rahman’s Possible India Visit
Another issue likely to figure prominently during Siam’s tenure will be Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s possible visit to India.
India and Bangladesh have been discussing dates for a bilateral visit, with reports indicating that the two sides are looking at a possible visit later in November. The proposed visit would be Rahman’s first bilateral trip to India as Prime Minister.
Siam’s familiarity with Bangladesh’s foreign-policy establishment and his current role as Foreign Secretary could provide continuity as the two countries work out the details of the proposed engagement.
Dinesh Trivedi Already in Dhaka
Siam’s appointment also follows New Delhi’s appointment of former Union minister Dinesh Trivedi as India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh.
Trivedi was appointed India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh in April 2026. In June, the Ministry of Home Affairs assigned him status equivalent to that of a Union Cabinet Minister in the Table of Precedence as a personal measure. The government order clarified that the status applies to ceremonial functions and does not amend the Table of Precedence.
The appointment of senior political and diplomatic figures on both sides comes as India and Bangladesh seek to maintain high-level communication and address difficult bilateral issues.
Riaz Hamidullah to Move to Geneva
Siam will replace M Riaz Hamidullah, Bangladesh’s current High Commissioner to India.
Hamidullah is expected to move to Geneva next month as Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. His departure will coincide with Siam’s move from Dhaka to New Delhi, completing a significant diplomatic reshuffle at Bangladesh’s missions and foreign ministry.
With India having now granted the required agrément, Siam’s appointment is set to proceed, placing Bangladesh’s current Foreign Secretary at the helm of its diplomatic mission in New Delhi at a time when both governments are working to manage outstanding differences and rebuild regular bilateral engagement.
About Asad Alam Siam
Mr Siam is a highly senior career diplomat from Bangladesh who currently serves as the country’s Foreign Secretary (since June 2025) and was recently appointed as the next High Commissioner to India, succeeding M Riaz Hamidullah.
Having joined the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1995 as part of the 15th BCS cadre, his distinguished three-decade career includes serving as the Ambassador to the United States (December 2024–June 2025), Ambassador to Austria, Permanent Representative to the United Nations and International Organizations in Vienna, Ambassador to the Philippines, and Bangladesh’s first Consul General in Milan, Italy. He has also completed diplomatic missions in Washington, Bangkok, Jakarta, and Manchester, and served domestically as the Rector of the Foreign Service Academy and Chief of Protocol.
Academically, Mr Siam is an alumnus of Mirzapur Cadet College, holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), and earned an MBA from the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands. His transition to New Delhi comes at a vital strategic juncture following recent leadership changes in Dhaka, where he will oversee critical bilateral affairs, including the renewal of the Ganga Waters Treaty and the upcoming state visit of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India
