The Indian government has formally approved the appointment of Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam as the country’s next High Commissioner to India, according to a report by Hindustan Times on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

A copy of India’s agrément for Siam has also been handed over to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the report said.

Earlier, on September 15, The Print reported that India had not yet formally approved Bangladesh’s proposal to appoint Siam as the next High Commissioner in New Delhi.

A career diplomat who joined the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1995, Siam is expected to replace the incumbent High Commissioner M. Riaz Hamidullah within the next few weeks. Hamidullah is set to be appointed Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva.

Before taking charge as foreign secretary in June 2025, Siam served as Bangladesh’s ambassador to the United States. He previously served as ambassador to Austria and the Philippines.

During his diplomatic career, he also served as Bangladesh’s consul general in Milan, assistant high commissioner in Manchester, and held diplomatic assignments in Indonesia and Thailand. He has also held several important positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka.

India’s approval comes at a time when Dhaka and New Delhi continue diplomatic engagement on various bilateral issues. In August, The Print reported that diplomatic contacts were taking place behind the scenes between the two countries as part of efforts to normalize bilateral relations.