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Shahidul next foreign secy

Diplomatic Correspondent
As the incumbent foreign secretary concluded his tenure a year back,
the government has finally decided to appoint a senior foreign cadre official, who had been out
of the foreign ministry for 11 years, as the next
SEE PAGE 12 COL 4
FROM PAGE 20 foreign secretary.
Official sources said Md Shahidul Haque, who joined the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) on lien in 2001, has returned from Geneva and joined the foreign ministry onTuesday.
Although Shahidul is currently one of the senior most officials in the foreign service cadre, he initially joined the ministry as its director general, which is equivalent to the rank and status of a joint secretary.
Shahidul, an officer of 1986 batch of BCS (Foreign Affairs) cadre, would be given two-stage promotions so that he becomes eligible to hold the post of foreign secretary within
next couple of months, officials said.
As per the government rule, any official on lien or foreign posting would be eligible for promotion after his/her return home and joining the service.
Following hectic lobbying at the foreign ministry, the government found Shahidul suitable for the post, and thus ordered him to leave the UN job and come back to his original service.
Shahidul, a student of Sociology Department of Dhaka University, acted accordingly and joined the foreign ministry to hold the chief administrative post.
After joining the foreign service, Shahidul did his MA in International
Relations from Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
Meanwhile, a highly placed source at the foreign ministry said that appointment of Shahidul as foreign secretary may be delayed for two to three months as the incumbent Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes has requested the government to continue in office till December.
By this time, Quayes wants to attend some important international events, including US-Bangladesh foreign secretary level meeting in Washington on September 19-20 and the 67th UN Session in New York at end of this month.
Earlier, the government
took the decision to change the incumbent foreign secretary as he had already completed his three-year tenure of service in the position.
But the process was delayed as Quayes had recently suffered serious illness and went abroad for long term treatment.
Subsequently, the government had decided to appoint Quayes as the next Bangladesh high commissioner in London.
Official sources said the government has decided not to extend the contract of M Sayeedur Rahman Khan, the incumbent high commissioner in London, and he is expected to return home at the end of this month or next month.