The interim government of Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh has cancelled the appointment of senior diplomat Shabab Bin Ahmed as the country’s Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata, following his controversial directive banning the sacrifice of cows and goats (qurbani) at the Bangladesh Consulate during Eid al-Adha.
According to Prothom Alo, Ahmed—who was posted at the Bangladesh Embassy in The Hague and scheduled to assume his Kolkata role in early June, issued the ban before even taking charge. He instructed mission officials to take steps to halt the decades-old tradition of animal sacrifice, citing hygiene concerns and the need to respect the local cultural context.
In his defense, Ahmed stated:
“We, as diplomats, serve our country. We must consider the local environment and the context where we are posted... We should respect the customs of the host country.”
He also noted that no other Bangladeshi missions abroad carry out qurbani, and he claimed it caused sanitation issues at the Kolkata consulate.
However, his decision met with strong backlash from within the mission. Staff reportedly warned him about the cultural sensitivity and the importance of the practice, which has been observed at the Kolkata mission for over 30 years. The meat from the sacrifices is often shared with the local community, reinforcing people-to-people goodwill. Yet, Ahmed chose to proceed, leading to internal dissent.
In response, the Bangladesh Foreign Office cancelled his posting and ordered him to return to Dhaka immediately.
The controversy comes at a time when India-Bangladesh relations are tense, especially after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in 2024, which was replaced by the Yunus-led interim regime following Islamist-backed student protests. The current administration has been criticized for releasing terrorists and failing to curb radical anti-India rhetoric, further straining diplomatic ties with New Delhi.
Ahmed’s move was viewed by critics as diplomatically tone-deaf and misaligned with longstanding consular traditions, particularly at a time when regional sensitivities and bilateral trust are already under pressure.
