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The professional reputation of the Bangladeshi foreign service has faced a fresh blow following the arrest of former diplomat Faisal Ahmed in the United Kingdom. Ahmed, who recently served as the Charge d’Affaires at the Bangladesh Embassy in Moscow, was taken into custody by West Midlands Police in Birmingham on December 16. The arrest follows a volatile confrontation in the Solihull area, where Ahmed is alleged to have issued chilling threats of physical assault and sexual violence against his landlord.
The conflict reportedly erupted over a domestic dispute involving the repair of a broken window at the property where Ahmed’s wife has resided since 2017. According to local sources and police statements, the disagreement escalated when a technician suggested a full window replacement rather than a minor repair. When the landlord requested that Ahmed share the costs, the former diplomat allegedly responded with a series of aggressive and abusive messages. The complainant alleges that these communications contained explicit references to gun violence and physical harm, prompting an immediate call to law enforcement.
West Midlands Police confirmed the incident via email, stating that a man in his fifties was apprehended at a Solihull address on charges of common assault and making threats to commit rape. While the investigation remains active, authorities have confirmed that Ahmed has been released on conditional bail.
This legal entanglement is merely the latest chapter in Ahmed’s increasingly turbulent career. In May of this year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka issued a "stand release" order—an immediate administrative recall—due to persistent reports of professional misconduct and harassment of colleagues during his tenure in Russia. Rather than returning to Bangladesh to face administrative inquiry, Ahmed leveraged the privileges of his diplomatic passport to relocate to the UK, effectively defying direct orders from the Ministry.
The Bangladesh High Commission in London has been forced to address the fallout. Press Minister Akbar Hossain, speaking on behalf of High Commissioner Abida Islam, confirmed that the mission is aware of the arrest and that the former envoy is currently out on bail. Sources close to the family suggest that Ahmed has been grappling with severe mental distress and a prolonged domestic crisis, factors that may have contributed to his erratic behavior. As the UK police continue their probe, the incident remains a significant embarrassment for Dhaka’s diplomatic corps, highlighting the complexities of managing personnel who bypass state protocols while abroad.
