Unless tenure of employment is increased, 14 embassies will get new envoys this year. Of the 14 ambassadors serving in these embassies, nine are going into retirement. The contract of five envoys will also expire this year.
Those going into retirement are: Masud Mannan in Uzbekistan, Shahadat Hossain in Belgium, Mahbub uz Zaman in China, Kamrul Ahsan in Russia, Nazmul Kaunain in Thailand, Surpadip Chakma in Mexico, Mohammad Imran in India, Zulfiquer Rahman in Brazil and Mahfuzur Rahman in Poland.
Contracts are ending for the following: Imtiaz Ahmed in Germany, Abdus Sobhan Sikder in Italy, Shamim Ahsan in Switzerland, Mohammad Ziauddin in USA and Golam Masih in Saudi Arabia.
Ambassador in Denmark, Mohammad Abdul Muhith has been made ambassador to Austria while Mashfi bin Shams, serving in Nepal for six years is supposed to come back to Dhaka.
Ambassador to Egypt, Mohammad Ali Sarkar went to retirement in November and ambassador in the Netherlands, Sheikh Belal Ahmed has joined a global body in the lien.
From those who will go into retirement, three were given their last posts – Mahbub uz Zaman in China, Kamrul Ahsan in Russia and Mohammad Imran in India.
Talking about the impending void, former ambassador to India, Liaqat Ali Chowdhury, said: “This will cause a big vacuum; the tenure of the ambassadors appointed to India, China and Russia will increase.”
He also said that regarding extension, the foreign ministry makes suggestions but the final decision is taken by the PM.
The extension depends on skills plus political consideration, he added.
Former ambassador Shahidul Huq said: “Foreign ministry has a mechanism; many officers have special knowledge on certain areas and people are appointed taking into consideration these special skills and understanding.”