DHAKA: The government has appointed nine officials as economic minister, commercial councilor and first secretary to Bangladesh missions in nine countries, including the US.

The Public Administration Ministry issued a gazette notification in this regard on Thursday.

Of them, the additional joint secretary to the Economic Relations Department (ERD) Supriya Kumar Kundu has been appointed as economic minister to Bangladesh Mission at Geneva in Switzerland.

Deputy Secretary of ERD M Hasan Arif has been appointed to Tokyo of Japan, Sheikh Akhter Hossain of PMO to Washington DC of USA, deputy secretary of energy and mineral resources division Dr Syed Masum Ahmed Chowdhury to Berlin of Germany, deputy secretary of finance division M Mahfuzul Alam Khan to Beijing of China, Dr AKM Rafiq Ahmed of BTRC to Dubai of UAE, personal secretary of PM’s political adviser Dr Ashfaqul Islam Babul to Moscow of Russian Federation and Mohammad Navid Ullah of Governance Innovation Unit of PMO has been appointed to Madrid of Spain as commercial councilors.

Besides, Hobiganj Sadar upazila UNO Mohammad Saiful Islam Khan has been appointed as first secretary (commercial) to Deputy High Commission for the People's Republic of Bangladesh at Kolkata.

On July 23, the government also appointed four new economic affairs officials to USA, Saudi Arabia, Belgium and Thailand.

BDST: 1802 HRS, AUG 07, 2014