Bangladesh’s interim government has recalled five ambassadors, including the envoy to neighboring India, in a significant diplomatic overhaul, a foreign ministry official reported on Thursday.
This reshuffle comes in the wake of major political changes in the South Asian nation, following the establishment of an interim government led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus. The transition occurred after weeks of violent protests forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign on August 5 and seek refuge in India.
The foreign ministry has ordered ambassadors from Brussels, Canberra, Lisbon, New Delhi, and the permanent mission to the United Nations in New York to return to the capital, Dhaka, immediately. They have been instructed to hand over their responsibilities without further delay, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
This decision follows the earlier recall of Saida Muna Tasneem, the high commissioner to the UK, who was also asked to return.
The student-led movement that led to Hasina’s ousting resulted in more than 700 fatalities, straining relations with India. The two countries share a 4,000-kilometer border and maritime boundaries in the Bay of Bengal.
In light of the political changes, minority groups in Bangladesh have reported attacks on Hindus, although the government asserts that the violence is politically motivated rather than religiously driven.
