MoFA awaits new secretary as Jashim Uddin’s fate to be decided soon

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is awaiting the appointment of a new foreign secretary, as the fate of the current secretary, Jashim Uddin, is likely to be finalised within a day or two, multiple sources at the ministry confirmed.

The ministry is now waiting for Jashim Uddin's decision – either to be posted as an ambassador or rector of the Foreign Service Academy, they added.

"Most probably, Jashim Uddin will choose the first option -- the post of an ambassador to a country," a foreign ministry official said, wishing anonymity.

A foreign ministry source said Jashim Uddin may go on laeave before he is posted as an ambassador to a North American country.

Meanwhile, Nazrul Islam, now the secretary (East) at the foreign ministry, will be acting foreign secretary before the foreign secretary is appointed.

Jashim, who was appointed foreign secretary in September last year, is scheduled to retire in December next year.

No foreign ministry official could say why Jashim Uddin is being removed from the post, but said there has been a social media campaign against him over the last months.

His membership from the Officers' Club Dhaka has been suspended recently.

Meanwhile, another foreign ministry official said, the names of those coming up for the post of foreign secretary include Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Riaz Hamidullah, Bangladesh Ambassador to the US Asad Alam Siam, secretary (East) to the foreign ministry Dr Nazrul Islam, Bangladesh's permanent representative to the UN in New York Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury and Bangladesh ambassador to Switzerland Tareq Md Ariful Islam.

Three of them are officials of the BCS 15th batch, and two are from the 17th batch.

Other possible names for the post include Bangladesh Ambassador to the Philippines M Borhan Uddin, Ambassador to Qatar Nazrul Islam, High Commissioner to Canada Nahida Sobhan, Ambassador to Japan Daud Ali and Ambassador to China Nazmul Islam.