The Bangladesh government’s decision to appoint two journalists who have been very critical of India as spokespersons in the missions in New Delhi and Kolkata has raised eyebrows in diplomatic circles, especially as the move comes at a time when the two countries are engaged in the delicate process of rebuilding their strained ties.
Latest Update
Both Saidur Rahman, the political editor of the Bengali daily Ittefaq who has been appointed the spokesperson of the Bangladesh high commission in New Delhi, and Umme Marufa, a special correspondent for the television network News24 who was named as spokesperson for the deputy high commission in Kolkata, have made derogatory social media posts about India and its government, people familiar with the matter said.
By Tuesday, several of these social media posts had been deleted by both journalists following the official announcement of Rahman’s appointment on a one-year contract by Bangladesh’s public administration ministry.
“The choices made by the Bangladeshi side are strange, especially as the two sides are now focused on rebuilding their relations after considerable strains seen in the past two years,” one of the people said.
“Maybe the new government in Dhaka thinks that the two candidates it has chosen are better suited to its approach,” a second person said.
In another social media post of February 2025, Rahman had linked India to the February 2009 mutiny by personnel of the Bangladesh Rifles, a paramilitary force now known as Border Guard Bangladesh. In other social media posts, Rahman has alleged India was behind the excesses perpetrated by Hasina’s government, and even made an unsubstantiated claim that India had a hand in the assassination of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) founder Ziaur Rahman.
Marufa’s social media posts relate to support for forces in Bangladesh that are perceived by New Delhi as extremist, and promote narratives that are seen as hostile to India’s strategic interests, including controversial claims about the northeastern states that border Bangladesh.
Unlike Indian missions where the post of spokesperson is usually held by an Indian Foreign Service officer, Bangladesh has for long had a policy of political appointments for this position. Over the past decade, the position in New Delhi has usually been held by journalists.
The last spokesperson for the Bangladesh high commission, Faisal Mahmud, had earned the ire of the external affairs ministry because of his actions, including commenting on India’s domestic politics on Bangladeshi TV channels while serving in the position. Mahmud’s contractual appointment was cancelled by the Bangladesh government in February.
