Ruhul Alam given routine charge after Jashim steps down as foreign secretary

The interim government has handed Ruhul Alam Siddique routine charge of the foreign secretary's office following the departure of Md Jashim Uddin.

The foreign ministry issued an official order on Thursday confirming the move, which will take effect from Friday.

It said Ruhul, currently a secretary at the ministry, will oversee the day-to-day responsibilities of the foreign secretary “until further notice”.

A member of the 13th batch of the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) Foreign Service cadre, Jashim assumed the role on Sept 8, 2024.

He was appointed within a month of a major reshuffle in the ministry that followed the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on Aug 5 in a student-led mass uprising.

Jashim is due to go on post-retirement leave in December 2026.

Officials at the ministry say there are discussions about sending him abroad again as an ambassador, a role he earlier held in China, Qatar, and Greece.

Stepping in on a routine basis, Ruhul belongs to the 11th batch of the BCS Foreign Affairs cadre.

He has earlier served as Bangladesh’s high commissioner to Pakistan and as ambassador to Portugal.

Over his diplomatic career, he held several positions at missions in Singapore, Berlin, New Delhi, and Karachi, alongside responsibilities within the foreign ministry.