Who Is Asad Alam Siam? Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam to Become New High Commissioner to India
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam is set to move to New Delhi as the country’s next High Commissioner to India after New Delhi granted the required agrément, placing one of Dhaka’s most senior diplomats at the centre of an important phase in India-Bangladesh relations.
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam is set to become the country’s next High Commissioner to India after New Delhi formally approved his appointment, clearing the way for his move to the Bangladesh High Commission in the Indian capital.
The agrément, which is the host country’s formal consent for the appointment of a diplomatic head of mission, was conveyed to Bangladesh on Tuesday. Siam is expected to take charge in New Delhi in the coming weeks. He will replace M Riaz Hamidullah, who is expected to move to Geneva to take up Bangladesh’s next assignment as its Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Siam’s appointment comes at a significant moment for the India-Bangladesh relationship. The two countries are seeking to restore greater diplomatic engagement after a period of strained ties, while discussions are also underway over a possible visit to India by Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Foreign Secretary to Move Directly to New Delhi
What makes Siam’s appointment particularly notable is the fact that he is moving directly from the position of Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh to the country’s top diplomatic post in India.
He has been serving as Bangladesh Foreign Secretary since June 2025, making him one of the key figures in Dhaka’s foreign-policy establishment. Siam joined the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1995 and has built a diplomatic career spanning several important overseas assignments as well as senior responsibilities at the foreign ministry headquarters.
Before becoming Foreign Secretary, he served as Bangladesh’s Ambassador to the United States. Earlier, he was Ambassador to Austria from 2023 to 2024 and Ambassador to the Philippines from 2017 to 2021.
His diplomatic career has also included assignments in Milan, Manchester, Indonesia and Thailand, besides various positions within Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
His experience across different regions and his recent role at the top of Bangladesh’s foreign-policy bureaucracy are expected to be relevant as he takes charge of the country’s mission in New Delhi. Siam is currently accompanying Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in New York as part of the Bangladeshi delegation.
Who Is Asad Alam Siam?
Asad Alam Siam is a career Bangladeshi diplomat who joined the country’s foreign service in 1995. Over more than three decades, he has served in bilateral diplomatic missions as well as at Bangladesh’s foreign ministry. His overseas assignments have covered North America, Europe, South and Southeast Asia.
His experience includes ambassadorial responsibilities in Washington, Vienna and Manila, along with diplomatic postings in Milan, Manchester, Indonesia and Thailand. His appointment as Foreign Secretary in June 2025 placed him at the head of Bangladesh’s foreign-policy administrative machinery.
His subsequent appointment as High Commissioner to India means he will now take that experience directly to one of Dhaka’s most important bilateral relationships. His successor as Foreign Secretary is expected to be Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, Bangladesh’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.
Appointment Comes During Efforts to Improve Bilateral Engagement
Siam’s appointment takes place against the backdrop of a complicated phase in India-Bangladesh relations. Relations deteriorated following the ouster of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who remains in India. Dhaka has sought her extradition, while India has said that the request is being examined under its legal framework.
The issue remains one of the matters affecting bilateral relations and is among the broader issues that the two countries have to manage through diplomatic channels. At the same time, Indian officials have reiterated New Delhi’s stated interest in taking the relationship in a “positive, constructive and forward-looking” direction.
Against this backdrop, Siam will assume responsibility for Bangladesh’s diplomatic mission in New Delhi at a time when both governments are working through outstanding issues while attempting to maintain regular engagement.
His direct move from the Foreign Secretary’s office in Dhaka to the High Commission in New Delhi also gives him familiarity with the issues already being handled at the highest level of Bangladesh’s foreign-policy establishment.
Tarique Rahman’s Possible India Visit
The possible India visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is another important issue expected to remain on the diplomatic agenda. India and Bangladesh have been discussing the possibility of a bilateral visit, with reports indicating that the two sides have been looking at a possible visit later in November.
If it takes place, it would be Rahman’s first bilateral visit to India as Prime Minister. The proposed engagement would give both sides an opportunity to discuss bilateral matters at the political leadership level. Siam’s appointment comes at a time when preparations for such high-level engagement are also being discussed.
As Foreign Secretary, Siam has been directly involved in Bangladesh’s foreign-policy machinery. His move to New Delhi could therefore provide continuity in the diplomatic channel as discussions over bilateral engagement continue.
India Has Also Appointed Dinesh Trivedi to Dhaka
The diplomatic reshuffle is not limited to Bangladesh’s mission in New Delhi. India has also appointed former Union minister Dinesh Trivedi as its High Commissioner to Bangladesh. Trivedi was appointed India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh in April 2026. Subsequently, in June, the Ministry of Home Affairs granted him status equivalent to that of a Union Cabinet Minister in the Table of Precedence as a personal measure.
The government order made it clear that the status would apply to ceremonial functions and would not amend the Table of Precedence itself. The appointments on both sides come at a time when India and Bangladesh are attempting to maintain high-level communication while addressing difficult and outstanding bilateral issues.
M Riaz Hamidullah Expected to Move to Geneva
Siam’s arrival in New Delhi will coincide with the departure of the current Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, M Riaz Hamidullah. Hamidullah is expected to move to Geneva next month, where he is set to take charge as Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
His transfer and Siam’s appointment represent an important diplomatic reshuffle involving two significant overseas assignments. While Hamidullah will take Bangladesh’s diplomatic responsibilities to the UN in Geneva, Siam will move from Dhaka’s Foreign Ministry to New Delhi to lead Bangladesh’s diplomatic mission in India.
A Significant Posting for Bangladesh’s Senior Diplomat
With New Delhi having granted the required agrément, the procedural hurdle for Siam’s appointment has now been cleared. His move is significant because he is not simply another career diplomat being assigned to New Delhi. He is Bangladesh’s serving Foreign Secretary and has been directly involved in the country’s foreign-policy decision-making and diplomatic engagement.
His arrival comes at a time when India and Bangladesh are attempting to navigate several outstanding issues while also looking for avenues to strengthen regular communication.
The possible visit of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the continuing issue surrounding Sheikh Hasina, and the broader effort to improve bilateral engagement are likely to remain important elements of the diplomatic environment in which Siam will begin his new assignment.
For New Delhi, the appointment brings a familiar figure from the highest levels of Bangladesh’s foreign-policy establishment to the country’s capital. For Dhaka, it places its serving Foreign Secretary in charge of its diplomatic mission in India at a time when direct and sustained communication between the two governments remains particularly important.
