Bangladesh Approves Asad Alam Siam as Next High Commissioner to India

Bangladesh has approved Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam as its next High Commissioner to India, a move that comes as the two neighbours seek to steady a relationship that has been under strain.

Siam, currently the senior-most official in Bangladesh's foreign ministry, will take charge of the country's mission in New Delhi at a time when diplomatic engagement between the two capitals has been tested by a range of bilateral issues.

Among the most prominent points of friction has been the continued presence of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in India, which has weighed on ties since the change of government in Dhaka.

The appointment signals an effort by both sides to restore a measure of normalcy to the relationship. As foreign secretary, Siam has been closely involved in shaping Bangladesh's external engagements, and his move to the High Commission in New Delhi places a senior diplomat at the centre of the effort to rebuild confidence.

New Delhi and Dhaka share deep economic, cultural and people-to-people links, and both governments have signalled an interest in keeping those channels open even as they work through their differences.

Further details on the timing of his assumption of charge were not immediately available.