Bangladesh recalls five envoys in major diplomatic reshuffle

Bangladesh's interim government has recalled five envoys, including the ambassador to neighbouring India, in a major diplomatic reshuffle, a foreign ministry official said on Thursday.

Major political changes in the South Asian nation ushered in the interim government led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus after weeks of violent protests forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign on August 5 and flee to India.

The foreign ministry ordered envoys in Brussels, Canberra, Lisbon, New Delhi and the permanent mission to the United Nations in New York to immediately return to the capital, Dhaka, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

They were asked to hand over their responsibilities immediately and return, the official added, without elaborating.

The step follows the recall of Saida Muna Tasneem, the high commissioner, or ambassador, to Britain, who was similarly asked to return.

More than 700 people died as a result of the student-led movement that ousted Hasina, straining ties with India. The two have a 4,000-km (2500-mile) border and maritime boundaries in the Bay of Bengal.

Minority groups in Bangladesh have made accusations of attacks on Hindus after the political changes, though the government says the violence was motivated by politics, not religion.