Foreign Secretary Siam to move to Delhi as new Dhaka envoy

Asad Alam Siam

Dhaka, Sept 22 - Asad Alam Siam, the current Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, will soon move to New Delhi as the new Bangladesh High Commissioner to India.

A copy of the “agrément” (an official approval by the host country) has already been handed over to Bangladesh, a senior official told UNB on Tuesday.

The Foreign Secretary is now in New York accompanying Prime Minister Tarique Rahman as a member of the Bangladesh delegation.

The government is scheduled to appoint Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, the immediate past Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York, as the next Foreign Secretary.

Foreign Secretary Siam will take up his responsibilities soon as Bangladesh's High Commissioner to India, a posting widely seen as one of the country's most important diplomatic assignments, officials said.

Bangladesh's current High Commissioner to India, M Riaz Hamidullah, will take up his new assignment as Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in Geneva next month.

Siam has completed one year in office, having assumed the post on June 20, 2025.

A career diplomat, Ambassador Siam joined the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1995.

Throughout his distinguished diplomatic career, he has served extensively both at home and abroad.

Prior to his current appointment, he served as Bangladesh's Ambassador to the United States, with concurrent accreditation to Guyana, and as Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

From 2023 to 2024, Ambassador Siam served as Bangladesh's Ambassador to Austria, with concurrent accreditation to Hungary and Slovenia, and as Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Vienna and the OPEC Fund.

Before serving in Austria, Ambassador Siam was Bangladesh's Ambassador to the Philippines from 2017 to 2021, with concurrent accreditation to Palau, and as Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

Earlier in his career, he served as the first Consul General at the Bangladesh Consulate General in Milan, Italy; as Assistant High Commissioner at the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Manchester, UK; and as a junior diplomat at the Bangladesh Embassies in Jakarta and Bangkok.

In addition to his overseas assignments, he held several important positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka.

He served as Inspector General of Missions (IGM) at the ministry and as Rector of the Foreign Service Academy.

He also served as Chief of Protocol and Director General of the Europe and EU Wing. As Director, he served in the offices of the Foreign Adviser and the Foreign Secretary.

Ambassador Noman Chowdhury joined the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1998.

Prior to his current posting, he served as Bangladesh's Ambassador to Nepal from November 2020 to December 2024.

During his diplomatic career spanning more than two decades, he has served in various capacities at Bangladesh missions abroad, including the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York, the Consulate General of Bangladesh in New York, and the Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad.

At the headquarters, he served in the United Nations, Economic Affairs, Administration, Protocol, External Publicity and Southeast Asia Wings, as well as at the Foreign Service Academy. - UNB