Bangladesh set to appoint Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam as High Commissioner to India

Bangladesh is set to appoint Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam as its next High Commissioner to India in a move widely seen as an effort to reset relations with New Delhi after nearly two years of strained bilateral ties.

Diplomatic sources said the government has decided to replace the incumbent High Commissioner, M Riaz Hamidullah, with the serving foreign secretary as part of a broader strategy to adopt a more pragmatic and results-oriented approach to diplomacy with its largest neighbour.

The appointment is expected to signal that strengthening Bangladesh-India relations has become a key foreign policy priority, with Dhaka placing greater emphasis on resolving longstanding bilateral issues through sustained diplomatic engagement.

According to officials familiar with the development on Wednesday, the previous approach was viewed as placing considerable emphasis on maintaining goodwill, while several contentious issues—including prolonged visa delays, border-related concerns and broader strategic matters—remained unresolved.

The decision to nominate the country's serving foreign secretary to one of Bangladesh's most important diplomatic postings is being interpreted as an indication that the government intends to pursue more substantive outcomes in its engagement with New Delhi.

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Diplomatic observers believe the move reflects Dhaka's intention to inject fresh momentum into bilateral relations at a time when both countries face a range of shared challenges, including trade, connectivity, border management, security cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

Neither the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the Government of India had officially commented on the reported appointment at the time of filing this report.