After nearly six years of service as the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to the United Kingdom, Saida Muna Tasneem is being recalled to Dhaka. This move comes as part of a series of administrative changes following the establishment of the interim government in Bangladesh.
The order for her immediate return was signed on Sunday by Mohammad Nazmul Haque, the Director-General (Administration) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Tasneem, a seasoned diplomat from the 11th BCS (Foreign Affairs) cadre, is scheduled to go on post-retirement leave from December 26 this year. Typically, diplomats serve a three-year term in any given mission, but her tenure was extended under the previous Awami League government due to her trusted status since her appointment on November 30, 2018.
During her tenure, Tasneem faced criticism from expatriates supporting the BNP and Jamaat factions, who accused her of turning the Bangladesh High Commission in London into a de facto office for the Awami League. Following the overthrow of the Awami League government on August 5, BNP and Jamaat supporters reportedly removed a portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from the High Commission.
Despite these controversies, Tasneem has been lauded for her professionalism. Before her appointment in London, she served as the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Thailand and held various positions at the Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the UN and the London Mission.
A distinguished diplomat, Tasneem graduated from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and holds an MSc in Public Policy and Management from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. Her recall is seen as part of a broader effort by the interim government to realign Bangladesh’s diplomatic presence abroad in line with new administrative priorities.
