Diplomacy has always been one of the most delicate yet powerful tools in international relations. In times of peace it nurtures cooperation, and in times of conflict it prevents crises from spiralling beyond control.
It is often said that diplomats continue to talk even when the guns are firing, because dialogue remains the only bridge between confrontation and resolution.
In today’s deeply interconnected world, where political tensions, economic competition and global challenges constantly test relations among nations, the importance of diplomacy can never be overstated.
For decades, diplomacy across the world was widely perceived as a male-dominated profession, requiring constant travel, long postings abroad and relentless negotiations. Yet over the years that perception has been steadily changing.
Women are now increasingly visible in diplomatic corridors, serving their nations with the same competence, professionalism and dedication as their male counterparts. Bangladesh is no exception to this transformation.
From a time when women were almost entirely absent from the country’s foreign service to an era where lady diplomats represent Bangladesh across continents, the journey has been remarkable.
What began as a slow and cautious entry of a few pioneering women into a traditionally male profession has now blossomed into a confident presence of female envoys shaping the country’s diplomatic engagements.
Today, Bangladesh has perhaps the highest number of female ambassadors and high commissioners in its history.
At present, at least nine women are serving as heads of mission in different parts of the world, representing the country in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Among them are High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Abida Islam, Ambassador to Egypt Samina Naz, Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Nahida Sobhan, High Commissioner to Brunei Naureen Ahsan, Ambassador to Romania Shahnaz Gazi, Ambassador to Greece Nahida Rahman Shumona, Ambassador to Morocco Sadia Faizunnesa, Ambassador to Sweden Wahida Ahmed and Ambassador to Bhutan Maleka Parveen.
Beyond ambassadorial roles, many other female diplomats are serving in key positions in Bangladesh missions abroad as well as at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka.
Their increasing presence in these critical roles reflects both institutional progress and broader social change within the country.
Yet the diplomatic landscape was vastly different just a few decades ago. In the early years following Bangladesh’s independence in 1971, the foreign service was overwhelmingly dominated by men.
Women had little representation and the idea of female diplomats serving abroad was still unfamiliar. The turning point came in 1979, when Nasim Firdaus joined the foreign service through the competitive cadre system, becoming the first female diplomat from the foreign service cadre.
Years later, in 2002, she would make history again as the first career female diplomat to be appointed ambassador, serving in Indonesia.
Before that milestone, Mahmuda Haque Choudhury had already etched her name in the country’s diplomatic history. She served as Bangladesh’s ambassador to Bhutan from 1996 to 1998, becoming the country’s first female ambassador.
However, she had joined the foreign ministry earlier through absorption from the prime minister’s office rather than through the foreign service cadre. When she entered the ministry in 1972, there was not a single woman employee there, let alone a diplomat.
The contrast between those early years and the present day could hardly be sharper. Today, out of roughly 400 diplomats serving Bangladesh, more than 80 are women.
Their presence in the diplomatic service continues to grow steadily. More importantly, these diplomats are proving their capabilities through performance rather than representation alone.
Several Bangladeshi women diplomats have already earned international recognition through distinguished careers.
Among the most prominent names is Ismat Jahan, who served as ambassador to the European Union and Belgium and as Bangladesh’s permanent representative to the United Nations in New York. She later served as ambassador of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to the European Union in Brussels until 2024.
An officer of the 1982 foreign service cadre, she also became the first woman at the foreign ministry to be promoted to the rank of senior secretary.
Another notable figure is Rabab Fatima, who currently serves as the United Nations under-secretary-general and high representative for the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states.
Earlier in her career, she represented Bangladesh as ambassador to Japan and as permanent representative to the United Nations in New York.
Other female diplomats, such as Mashfee Binte Shams and Saida Muna Tasneem, have also served the country with distinction.
Mashfee Binte Shams held several important positions, including serving as ambassador to Nepal and rector of the Foreign Service Academy, while Saida Muna Tasneem represented Bangladesh in Thailand and later in the United Kingdom.
Despite this progress, female diplomats acknowledge that the journey has not been entirely without challenges. Many point out that women often have to balance demanding diplomatic responsibilities with family obligations, while male colleagues are sometimes able to focus primarily on professional duties.
Yet they emphasise that they have rarely faced institutional discrimination within the foreign service.
Senior diplomats also recall how different the situation was in the early years. Recalling the early days of women in Bangladesh’s foreign service, senior diplomat Ismat Jahan says the profession was once almost entirely dominated by men. When she joined the service in the early 1980s, only a handful of women were working in the ministry.
“When I entered the foreign service, there were only two other female diplomats—Nasim Firdaus and Nasima Haider—who had joined through competitive exams. Mahmuda Haque Choudhury was also in the service,” she told TIMES of Bangladesh.
“All are retired now. We were the pioneers of a hitherto male-dominated profession.” According to her, women at the time had to work harder to prove their competence. “That was a period when women had to work harder to establish themselves. In some ways, it is still the same,” she added, though she expressed satisfaction that the number of female diplomats has been steadily rising and that they are performing successfully in their assignments.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Abida Islam also points to the remarkable transformation that has taken place over the decades.
“Women’s participation in diplomacy in Bangladesh has evolved significantly since the country’s independence in 1971,” she said, noting that the diplomatic arena was overwhelmingly male-dominated in the early years.
She recalled that when she joined the foreign service about three decades ago, four women were recruited in the same batch—the highest number at that time. “We received strong support and guidance from our seniors and colleagues,” she said.
Islam believes the steady rise of female diplomats reflects wider social progress in Bangladesh. Increased access to education, growing professional opportunities and changing social attitudes have gradually opened the doors for more women to take up leadership roles.
“Today, women diplomats are playing increasingly prominent roles in Bangladesh’s missions abroad,” she said, adding that their presence reflects both institutional progress and the country’s broader commitment to gender equality in public service and international representation.
Ambassador to Egypt Samina Naz echoes the same sentiment, recalling how rare women diplomats were when she began her career.
The 15th BCS (Foreign Affairs) examination saw the largest intake of women at the time—four out of sixteen recruits. “When we joined, there were only seven women among about 200 diplomats,” she said.
Naz also highlighted the supportive professional environment she experienced during her career. “I found a working atmosphere that valued my hard work, integrity and devotion. As a woman, I never felt otherwise,” she said.
Today, she notes with pride, more women are entering the diplomatic profession and contributing alongside their male colleagues. “Now more and more women diplomats are joining the service and working shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts for the country,” she said.
