A K M Wahiduzzaman, Deputy Permanent Representative-1 at Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, has applied for 10 days of casual leave and permission to leave his duty station, alleging that seniority rules were violated and he was bypassed in appointing the mission's acting head (Chargé d'Affaires).

He submitted the request in an official letter sent to Foreign Secretary Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury on Thursday (November 12).

In the letter, Ambassador A K M Wahiduzzaman, a Grade-1 officer, expressed "deep professional concern" over the decision to nominate Deputy Permanent Representative-2 and Grade-3 Ambassador Sanchita Haque as Chargé d'Affaires in the absence of Permanent Representative Irene Zubaida Khan. He also questioned the move, stating it runs counter to established government service rules.

Wahiduzzaman requested casual leave and permission to leave New York from November 13 to November 22—coinciding with Permanent Representative Irene Zubaida Khan’s scheduled visit to Shanghai, China, to attend the fifth seminar on Artificial Intelligence (AI) capacity building.

In his application, he noted that he has been serving as Deputy Permanent Representative-1 since joining the UN mission on July 15, 2026.

Furthermore, following the departure of his predecessor, Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, from New York last August, Wahiduzzaman himself had led the mission as Acting Permanent Representative, or Chargé d'Affaires.

However, a diplomatic note (note verbale) issued by the Permanent Mission on November 12 informed other country missions that Sanchita Haque would serve as Chargé d'Affaires during Irene Zubaida Khan’s absence.

Following this development, the senior diplomat also forwarded copies of his leave and station-leave application to the offices of several top government officials, including the Public Administration Adviser, the State Minister for Public Administration, and the Cabinet Secretary.