Bangladesh news: Interim govt recalls envoys of 5 countries, including India. Here is why

Bangladesh’s interim government has issued orders to recall envoys of five countries to Dhaka, including the High Commissioner to India, as part of a significant reshuffle, bdnews24.com reported.

According to the report, the following mission leaders have been called back to Dhaka: Mustafizur Rahman, the High Commissioner to India; Muhammad Abdul Muhith, the Permanent Representative to the United Nations; M Allama Siddiqui, the High Commissioner to Australia; Mahbub Hassan Saleh, the Ambassador to Belgium; and Rezina Ahmed, the Ambassador to Portugal.

An official order was shared by news agency PTI which was send to Mustafizur Rahman, which stated, “You have been transferred to Headquarters, Ministry of External Affairs, Dhaka. Therefore, you are requested to relinquish your present charge at Bangladesh High Commission, New Delhi and return to HQ, Dhaka without delay. You and your family members will be entitled to travel expenses and other allowances as per rules. This order is issued with the approval of the appropriate authorities and in public interest.”

The directives from Bangladesh's foreign ministry to recall diplomats might have come due to discontent or dissatisfaction within the country’s foreign service as they were not were not political appointees, people said on condition of anonymity said as reported by Hindustan Times.

Furthermore, according to bdnews24.com, the ministry has ordered the diplomats to return "without delay" on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, India-Bangladesh relations have been on a rocky edge ever since Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina fled the country. A month ago, a student-led movement ousted Bangladesh's Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, after weeks of protests and clashes that killed over 600 people. The minority groups in Bangladesh alleged Hindus were attacked immediately after the political changes, but the interim government says those were not religious but political in nature. An interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed.

Recently, Foreign Affairs Advisor, Mohammed Touhid Hossain said that Both Bangladesh and India must have "good working relations" with each other. India and Bangladesh share more than 4,000 km of common land borders and there are also maritime boundaries in the Bay of Bengal that the two countries share with each other.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh is facing a fluid political situation with Sheikh Hasina, tendering her resignation from her post on August 5 in the wake of mounting protests. Hasina, who fled Bangladesh for India in a military aircraft on August 5, is currently staying in India.

(With inputs from agencies)