Harsh Shringla India's next high commissioner to Bangladesh

When High Commissioner Pankaj Saran leaves Bangladesh by year-end, he will likely be replaced by Harsh Vardhan Shringla, currently Indian ambassador to Thailand, a highly-placed source in the Ministry of External Affairs said.

India Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 24 Sept 2015, 09:47 AM
Updated : 24 Sept 2015, 12:14 PM

Shringla, who hails from the Darjeeling hills of West Bengal, is billed as one of the 'rising stars' in the Indian Foreign Service.

The MEA source spoke on condition of anonymity because the formalities were yet to be completed.

Saran, credited with persistent diplomacy to secure the land boundary agreement, may take over from PS Raghavan as Indian ambassador in Moscow.

Having earlier served at the PMO for years, he oversaw many high-profile visits to Dhaka and played a key role in promoting crucial deals. In his younger years, he did a three-year stint at India’s second largest diplomatic mission in the world. 

Harsh Vardhan Shringla. Photo: Embassy of India. Bangkok, Thailand.

Shringla, in a career spanning nearly 30 years, has held a variety of positions in New Delhi and in Indian Missions in Paris, Hanoi and Tel Aviv. 

He has also served as Minister/Counsellor in the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, New York and as Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Durban, South Africa.

Prior to taking up his post in Thailand, Shringla had served in the Ministry of External Affairs as Joint Secretary (Director General) responsible for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Maldives. 

Shringla has also headed the United Nations, Political and SAARC Divisions in the ministry.

He had also served as Director of the Northern (Nepal and Bhutan) Division and Deputy Secretary of the Europe West Division.

Shringla graduated from St. Stephen's College, Delhi and had worked in the Corporate and Public Sectors in India prior to joining the Indian Foreign Service.

He assumed his present position as Ambassador to Thailand and Permanent Representative to UNESCAP on 19 Jan, 2014.

The Modi administration is shifting Gautam Bhambawale as Indian ambassador to Pakistan from Bhutan. Bhambawale is a China expert, speaks Mandarin and has served as consul-general in China. 

 Syed Akbaruddin, the former high-profile spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, will take over as India's permanent representative to UN from Asoke Mukherji, who retires soon.

But before that, Akbaruddin, believed to be highly regarded by PM Modi, has been tasked to organise the ambitious India-Africa summit this year.