Bangladesh's interim government has appointed an 'anti-India' activist as an envoy for an undisclosed mission

Bangladesh's interim government has appointed Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey, a US-based journalist-activist known for his controversial anti-India views and his decade-long campaign against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as an ambassador to one of its missions abroad. Ansarey returned to Bangladesh on September 12 after nearly ten years in exile.

The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification on Monday confirming his appointment. Last March, he attracted attention when he commented on the arrest of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during a press briefing with US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. Ansarey has been granted the status and privileges of a senior secretary under a three-year contract. While there is speculation about his assignment, sources indicated that the Foreign Affairs Ministry would announce his posting soon.

His appointment comes at a time when the interim government has canceled the contracts of ambassadors to the United States, Russia, and the UAE, with replacements to be announced shortly. Some observers view Ansarey's selection as a reward for his longstanding criticism of the previous Awami League administration. He served as the assistant press secretary to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia from 2001 to 2006.

Currently, Ansarey is the executive editor of the Washington-based foreign policy magazine *South Asia Perspectives* and also works as the editor and White House correspondent for *JustNewsBD*, focusing on the UN, US State Department, and Pentagon.