Retired Ambassador & Foreign Secretary and former High commissioner of Bangladesh to India
Full Name: Hemayetddin
Affiliation: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh
Current Position: Retired Ambassador & Former Foreign Secretary
Date of Birth: June 21, 1948
Place of Birth: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Profile:
Hemayet Uddin served as High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India from November 2003 to March 2005, after which he was appointed Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh ((2005-2006) . He retired from active service as Ambassador & Foreign Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh on.
Hemayet Uddin passed Secondary High School Certificate (SSC) from St. Gregory’s High School, Dhaka in 1964 and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) from Notre Dame College, Dhaka in 1966. He obtained his BA (Honours) and Masters Degree in Sociology from the University of Dhaka in 1969 and 1970 respectively. He served in an Executive position in a Multinational Private Sector company in the immediate post-independence period.
Hemayet Uddin made his beginnings as a career diplomat when he joined the Bangladesh Foreign Service (BCS-FA) cadre in 1975. Since then he served in various positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Bangladesh Embassies abroad. His foreign assignments include India (on two occasions), Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg, the European Community (now EU), the United States of America and Peoples Republic of China. He served as Bangladesh Ambassador to Kingdom of Thailand, the Kingdom of Cambodia and Bangladesh Permanent Representative to UNESCAP in Bangkok (2001-2003). He was the High Commissioner (Ambassador) of Bangladesh to India (2003-2005). He served as Foreign (Permanent) Secretary of Bangladesh from 2005 to end of 2006. On retirement from active government service, he joined the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Jeddah, KSA, (2007-2014) as Ambassador and Director General in charge of the Department of Culture, Family Affairs and Human Rights.
During his long diplomatic career, Hemayet Uddin actively pursued in furthering bilateral relations and national interests in the countries he was posted. As Minister/Counselor at the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC, USA, (1991-1995) he was paid a special tribute by the HON. GARY L. ACKERMAN, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Asia and the Pacific on the floor of the US House of Representatives for his outstanding contribution in promoting US-Bangladesh bilateral relations, the text of which is archived in the Congressional Record No Vol 14 of December 14, 1995 of the proceedings and debate of the 104th Congress. As Ambassador to Thailand and India, he made significant contribution in strengthening of bilateral relations and cooperation with these countries.
During his tenure in the General Secretariat Organization Of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah as Ambassador & Director General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Jeddah (2007-2014) in charge of the Departments of Culture, Social & Family Affairs, he set up the OIC Observatory on Islamophobia, chaired the Task Force in establishing the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the OIC, led OIC delegations for bilateral consultations with EU Countries for engendering dialogue among civilizations . He was also tasked by the OIC Secretary General with promoting greater understating and improving OIC –West relations under the auspices of the UN Alliance of Civilizations.
Hemayet Uddin has authored two books: (1) “A Neighborly Affair: Assignment India (UPL, Dhaka 2009) and
(2) Diplomacy in Obscurity : A Memoir ( UPL, Dhaka, 2020)'Bold text