Saida Muna Tasneem is a

Bangladeshi Bangladeshis ( bn, বাংলাদেশী ) are the citizens of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centered on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the eponymous bay. Bangladeshi citizenship was formed in 1971, when the ...

diplomat who has served as High Commissioner of Bangladesh to the United Kingdom and Ambassador to

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

and

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

since November 2018. She is the first woman to hold these positions. She also serves as Bangladesh's permanent representative to the

International Maritime Organization The International Maritime Organization (IMO, French: ''Organisation maritime internationale'') is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping. The IMO was established following agreement at a UN conference ...

(IMO). She was formerly the High Commissioner to

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

and

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

and Bangladesh's representative to the

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is one of the five regional commissions under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It was established in order to increase economic ...

Background

Tasneem was born in

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...

East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Scheme, One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India ...

. Her family moved to

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

, Lebanon in 1975 in order for her father to complete his Ph.D. at the

American University of Beirut The American University of Beirut (AUB) ( ar, الجامعة الأميركية في بيروت) is a private, non-sectarian, and independent university chartered in New York with its campus in Beirut, Lebanon. AUB is governed by a private, aut ...

. They later moved back to Dhaka in 1979 where Tasneem completed high school at the Holy Cross Girls' High School. She attended the

Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, commonly known by the acronym BUET, is a public technological research university in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Founded in 1876 as the Dacca Survey School, it is the oldest institution for the study ...

(BUET) and graduated in 1988 with a bachelor's in

Chemical Engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials int ...

. She later completed her master's in public policy and management at the

School of Oriental and African Studies SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury ar ...

of the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

Career

Tasneem started her career at the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1993. The Bangladeshi Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled Tasneem from her posting to Bangladesh's

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

mission in June 2004.

Ambassador to Thailand and Cambodia

Tasneem was appointed as the Ambassador for Bangladesh to

and

on November 14, 2014. She met with then-Crown Prince

Maha Vajiralongkorn Vajiralongkorn ( th, วชิราลงกรณ; , ; born 28 July 1952) is the King of Thailand. He is the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. In 1972, at the age of 20, he was made crown prince by his father. After his ...

, representing

King Rama IX Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...

, on September 4, 2015, to present her credentials. As an ambassador, it was one of Tasneem's priorities to strengthen

religious tourism Religious tourism, spiritual tourism, sacred tourism, or faith tourism, is a type of tourism with two main subtypes: pilgrimage, meaning travel for religious or spiritual purposes, and the viewing of religious monuments and artefacts, a branch of ...

between the two countries. Md Nazmul Quaunine took over for Tasneem as the High Commissioner to Thailand on October 23, 2018.

High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, and Ambassador to Ireland and Liberia

On 30 November 2018, Tasneem was appointed as the 20th

High Commissioner to the United Kingdom The following is the list of ambassadors and high commissioners to the United Kingdom, or more formally, to the Court of St James's. High commissioners represent member states of the Commonwealth of Nations and ambassadors represent other sta ...

, and an ambassador to Ireland and Liberia, succeeding Md Nazmul Quaunine. She became the first woman appointed to the position. On 1 May 2019, Tasneem attended a reception at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

, where she presented Quaunine's

letter of recall Diplomatic correspondence is correspondence between one state and another and is usually of a formal character. It follows several widely observed customs and style in composition, substance, presentation, and delivery and can generally be categor ...

and her

letter of credence A letter of credence (french: Lettre de créance) is a formal diplomatic letter that designates a diplomat as ambassador to another sovereign state. Commonly known as diplomatic credentials, the letter is addressed from one head of state to anot ...

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

. During the meeting, Tasneem wished the Queen for good health and prosperity, and made the request for two forests in Bangladesh (one of which being

Lawachara National Park Lawachara National Park ( bn, লাউয়াছড়া) is a major national park and nature reserve in Bangladesh. The park is located at Kamalganj Upazila, Moulvibazar District in the northeastern region of the country. It is located with ...

) to be included under the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy — while the Queen praised Bangladesh's economic growth and women empowerment. On 21 November 2019, Tasneem met the Irish president

Michael D. Higgins Michael Daniel Higgins ( ga, Mícheál Dónal Ó hUigínn; born 18 April 1941) is an Irish politician, poet, sociologist, and broadcaster, who has served as the ninth president of Ireland since November 2011. Entering national politics throug ...

at the

Áras an Uachtaráin (; "Residence of the President"), formerly the Viceregal Lodge, is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of Ireland. It is located off Chesterfield Avenue in the Phoenix Park in Dublin. The building design was credite ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, Ireland. Tasneem thanked Higgins for his support of the Bangladeshi diaspora within Ireland, while Higgins professed his admiration of Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina Wazed (''née'' Sheikh Hasina ; ; bn, শেখ হাসিনা ওয়াজেদ, Shēkh Hasinā, , born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Prime Minister ...

sheltering of 1.1 million Rohingya refugees from neighbouring Myanmar. She also openly invited Higgins to open an Irish embassy in

and to frequently hold bilateral talks to improve relations.

United Nations

In 2014, Tasneem was appointed as Bangladesh's permanent representative to the

(UNESCAP). At the 72nd session of the commission in May 2016, she helped table a resolution titled "Regional cooperation in Asia and the Pacific to promote the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development", that was co-sponsored by Australia, India, and Sri Lanka, based upon Sheikh Hasina's

blue economy Blue economy is a term in economics relating to the exploitation, preservation and regeneration of the marine environment. Its scope of interpretation varies among organizations. However, the term is generally used in the scope of international ...

policies. The resolution passed unanimously. Tasneem is also Bangladesh's representative to the

Awards

* On 23 February 2017, at a ceremony in Dhaka, Tasneem was awarded the Atish Dipankar Peace Gold Award from deputy speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah. She received the award in recognition of her work to promote interfaith dialogue and peace, particularly during her role as High Commissioner to Thailand. * Diplomat of the Year 2022 Award.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tasneem, Saida Muna Living people People from Dhaka Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology alumni Alumni of the University of London Ambassadors of Bangladesh to Thailand Ambassadors of Bangladesh to Ireland Ambassadors of Bangladesh to Liberia High Commissioners of Bangladesh to the United Kingdom Bangladeshi women ambassadors Year of birth missing (living people) Date of birth missing (living people)