The government has cancelled the appointment of Mohammad Khorshed Alam Khastagir as Bangladesh’s next ambassador to Poland reportedly for his role during the Anti-Discrimination Student Protest.
A foreign ministry source confirmed the development to UNB today (6 October), noting that Khastagir will continue his current role in the Bangladesh Mission in Kuala Lumpur as its Minister (Political) and Deputy High Commissioner at the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.
On 25 September, the government announced his name as the new ambassador to Poland.
Khastagir, who is now in Malaysia, was not, however, given a scope to defend him against the allegations brought against him, said the source.
Khastagir, a career diplomat belonging to the 20th batch of BCS (Foreign Affairs) cadre, joined Bangladesh Foreign Service in 2001.
Prior to joining his current assignment in October 2020, he served as the Director/Director General of Europe and EU Wing and International Organisations Wing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2015-2019).
In his diplomatic career, Khastagir also served as First Secretary at the Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York (2008-2010) and as Charge d’affaires/Counsellor at the Bangladesh Embassy in Muscat, Oman (2011-2014).
Khastagir obtained an interdisciplinary Master of Marine Management (Law and Policy) degree from the Dalhousie University, Canada, under the CIDA Marine Scholarship Program (2004-2005).
Earlier, he graduated from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. He also attended several professional development courses/training programs both at home and abroad.