As Bangladesh struggled to establish its government following the downfall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through a student-led revolution, the Foreign Secretary hurriedly approved the conversion of several diplomatic passports of Bangladeshi officials abroad to ordinary passports in August.

According to Foreign Ministry officials, before the formation of the government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and the Ministry’s Director General of Administration, DM Salah Uddin Mahmud, authorized the conversion of passports for two counselors—Aparna Rani Paul and Mobasshira Farzana Mithila—and their four family members.

Both Masud Bin Momen and Salah Uddin Mahmud were contacted for comment but did not respond to Bangla Outlook.

Officials also noted that Aparna Rani Paul had been posted in Ottawa for 13 years, while Mithila Farzana was assigned to her post in November 2023.

Officials indicated that because the digital file had not been approved, the Foreign Secretary authorized the conversion using the hard copy. A similar application was submitted by Arifa Rahman Ruma, Counsellor in Washington DC.

According to officials, canceling a diplomatic passport without the original passport being received by the consular section is a violation of rules and standard operating procedures.

The physical presence of the diplomatic passport holder is required while the passport remains active during an overseas assignment.

The consular section cannot cancel the passport unless it has been surrendered upon the completion of the assignment.

On August 14, the ministry issued separate letters to Aparna, Arifa, and Mithila, instructing them to report to the headquarters in Dhaka by August 31.

Mithila Farzana, who served as the Head of Current Affairs at Ekattor Television during Sheikh Hasina's regime and as the Director of the Public Diplomacy Wing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Aparna were both under contractual appointments according to Foreign Ministry documents.

It was unclear whether Arifa was also on a contractual appointment.

Arifa posted on her verified Facebook page: “On August 14, I was transferred from the embassy in Washington DC to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka and am required to complete my duties here by August 31.”

She added, “I have seen some newspapers print false information. Since my appointment was not contractual, there is no possibility of canceling a contract. As my primary workplace was a public university, I was posted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I am receiving numerous messages and calls about this matter, which should be clarified.”

“I arrived in Dhaka on July 19 for home leave and returned to Washington DC on August 13. I am alive and well. I will definitely write about the entire period. I have a habit of keeping a diary, so there’s no chance of forgetting.”

It is unclear whether Arifa left Dhaka on August 13 with a diplomatic or ordinary passport.

—