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They were high-ranking government officials. Despite holding responsible government positions, they broke all professional ethics to gain special benefits from the Awami League, acting as devoted party workers. After the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government, while many Awami League-supporting officials in the administration found themselves in trouble, these two fortunate individuals were an exception, Daily Dazzling Dawn understands.
They are still fully enjoying the benefits of their loyalty to the Awami League. Although they no longer hold positions in the Bangladesh government, they are living comfortably in London with all their family members. They are openly giving speeches at public meetings and rallies and residing in East London. The former High Commissioner herself is staying at the house of an influential pro-BNP intellectual. One of them applied for political asylum long ago, while the other is preparing their application, planning to submit it after their post-retirement leave ends.
Saida Muna Tasneem, who served as Bangladesh's High Commissioner to the UK for about six years during the Awami League's tenure, and Md. Ashikun Nabi Chowdhury, the High Commission’s Minister (Press), had their contracts extended multiple times on a contractual basis.
On August 29 of last year, Bangladesh's Ministry of Public Administration cancelled the contractual appointment of Md. Ashikun Nabi Chowdhury, the Minister (Press) at the Bangladesh High Commission in London. Although he was supposed to return home as per regulations, he remains in London. He and his wife have applied for political asylum in the UK.
Md. Ashikun Nabi Chowdhury is speaking at a meeting in London yesterday night.
He is openly participating in meetings, rallies, and issuing statements with Awami League activists. He was seen at an event on Tuesday night. This public display of party loyalty, along with his role as a supporter of the Awami League and an opponent of the current government in Bangladesh, is helping him gather evidence to support his asylum claim that returning to Bangladesh would be dangerous for him.
It is known that Ashikun Nabi Chowdhury was initially appointed in London through the efforts of Ihsanul Karim, then-Press Secretary to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was a close associate.
Saida Muna Tasneem had been serving as the High Commissioner in London since November 30, 2018. Following the student-people's uprising and the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, an interim government led by Dr. Muhammad Yunus took power. As part of a reshuffle in the administration, a directive was issued on September 29 of last year ordering Saida Muna Tasneem to return to Dhaka immediately. However, after various delays, she finally left her post at the London High Commission two months after the government's order.
Although a directive signed by Mohammad Nazmul Haque, then-Director General (Administration) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, instructed Saida Muna Tasneem to leave her London post and return to Dhaka immediately, she did not go back to Bangladesh. Muna Tasneem and all her family members are now living in East London at the home of her maternal uncle (her aunt's husband), who is a prominent pro-BNP intellectual and veteran academic. This living arrangement is an "open secret" in the community, and her stay at his house has made her feel secure. This prominent community figure was on the same stage with BNP's acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, and gave a speech at a meeting as recently as August 6.This community leader is also known in the British Bangladeshi community as a close associate of Dr. Yunus in London.However, the academic and intellectual has not confirmed Muna's stay at his house to journalists.
Saida Muna Tasneem, an officer of the BCS (Foreign Affairs Cadre) 11th batch, went on post-retirement leave on December 26. Although she was supposed to return home, for reasons unknown she has been granted the opportunity to spend her one-year post-retirement leave in London.
According to protocol, a diplomat typically serves as an ambassador for three years at a mission. As a very trusted person of the previous Awami League government, she held the position of High Commissioner in London with great authority from November 30, 2018, until Sheikh Hasina's fall. Pro-BNP expatriates had long complained that Muna had turned the Bangladesh High Commission in London into an Awami League party office. After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, some Awami League beneficiaries who were once eager to take pictures with Muna were seen being critical of her on social media.
The shrewd Saida Muna Tasneem had a strong personal network among diplomats and businesspeople in the UK, having served in various capacities at the London High Commission even before being appointed High Commissioner. She was actively trying to use these connections to secure a high-ranking position at the International Maritime Organization after her retirement. However, she missed out on the opportunity for other reasons.
There are rumors that Muna was behind the scenes, orchestrating various campaigns and activities in the UK against Dr. Muhammad Yunus's interim government during his visit to the UK on June 10. On June 16, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in Bangladesh began an inquiry into allegations of money laundering worth approximately two thousand crore takas against former High Commissioner Saida Muna Tasneem and her husband, Touhidul Islam Chowdhury.
Questions were raised about whether former High Commissioner Saida Muna Tasneem is still on leave, how she is staying in London without returning home, when her post-retirement leave will end, how former Press Minister Ashikun Nabi Chowdhury is still in London, and whether Muna Tasneem's diplomatic passport has been cancelled or if she has returned it. Attempts were made to contact the current High Commissioner of Bangladesh to the UK, Abida Islam, but the High Commission announced on Tuesday night that she is currently on leave in Bangladesh. Although the questions were sent to her in writing, no response was received as of the time of this report.
When the same questions were posed to Shahriar Mosharraf, the Head of Chancery at the Bangladesh High Commission in London, who is currently serving as the acting High Commissioner, he declined to comment. The High Commission's current Press Minister, Akbar Hossain, also refused to speak on the matter.
To get his comments on how Ashikun Nabi Chowdhury has been in the UK for nearly a year, two attempts were made to contact him on his mobile phone, but he did not respond.
The former High Commissioner's previous numbers are all switched off now. Attempts were made to contact her on social media.Daily Dazzling Dawn has tried to get a statement from her multiple times.
