India’s ambassador to Indonesia tipped to be next envoy to Bangladesh

Senior Indian diplomat Sandeep Chakravorty, currently the ambassador to Indonesia, is widely tipped to be the next high commissioner to Bangladesh, people familiar with the matter said against the backdrop of moves by New Delhi to repair its ties with Dhaka after a period of unprecedented strains in bilateral relations.

Chakravorty, who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1996 and did a stint as deputy chief of mission in Bangladesh during 2012-2015, was on a shortlist of diplomats considered for the post in Dhaka late last year, the people said on condition of anonymity. He has been the ambassador to Jakarta since August 2023 and played a key role in shaping cooperation with Indonesia in areas ranging from trade to defence.

However, India's current envoy to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, is expected to continue in the position for some more weeks as the new government led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) – which swept the general election held on 12 February – settles in, the people said. This period will be used to complete formalities for the posting of the next high commissioner, including the finalisation of the agrément or formal agreement, the people said.

Verma, who has been in Bangladesh since October 2022 and is widely seen as a key behind-the-scenes player, is credited by diplomats of both countries for a crucial role in continued engagement with the power centres in Dhaka amid the strains that characterised bilateral relations since the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024.

Over the past 18 months, Verma made extensive but quiet diplomatic efforts for engagement and outreach with Bangladesh's main political forces. The current deputy high commissioner, Pawankumar Badhe, too is expected to remain in Dhaka till later this year, the people said.

Besides serving as ambassador to Peru and Bolivia and as consul general in New York, Chakravorty also had stints in India's missions in Spain and Colombia. He also served as the joint secretary at headquarters responsible for ties with Europe West and the European Union (EU).

The government is understood to have taken a call last year to post a Bengali-speaking diplomat as the high commissioner to Dhaka, with an eye on the crucial task of rebuilding relations that hit rock bottom during the tenure of the interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

The next high commissioner in Dhaka will have a key role in India's efforts to resume engagement with the BNP-led government, as the party has a history of fraught relations with India.

The leadership of both BNP and the Jamaat-e-Islami, which is set to win close to 70 seats along with its allies, have spoken of improving ties with India.