Acting Secretary to the Foreign Ministry Touhid Hossain, who holds the rank of an additional secretary, is due to be posted as the county's high commissioner to Australia.

The position became vacant after Humyaun Kabir, who used to be the high commissioner to Australia had been appointed as the ambassador to the United States.

Meanwhile, the government is seriously considering appointing a senior diplomat with international exposure as the new foreign secretary. Incidentally the current acting foreign secretary never served as an ambassador.

Earlier, Touhid served as the deputy high commissioner at the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata.

The post of a full-fledged foreign secretary has been vacant since Hemayetuddin joined the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) in December last year. Later, the caretaker government headed by Chief Adsviser Fakhruddin Ahmed appointed Bangladesh Ambassador to Germany Minzur Rahim as the foreign secretary, but the appointment was cancelled.

Among the names being considered were Humayun Kabir, and Bangladesh High Commissioner to New Delhi Liaquat Ali Chowdhury. However, after Humayun Kabir was given the important position of an ambassador in Washington DC, Liaquat Ali Chowhury, a veteran and a skilled negotiator and diplomat is now being considered for the post of the foreign secretary.

Chowdhury, served twice in India as a diplomat -- first as a counsellor and later as a deputy high commissioner. He also served as the ambassador to The Netherlands.

Shahdat Hossain, now serving as the high commissioner to Sri Lanka, who also served at the UN and as the deputy high commissioner in New Delhi earlier, is being considered for the post of the new high commissioner to India.

Meanwhile, Ismat Jahan, who had been appointed as the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations, already taken over the charge. Sources said she was recommended very strongly by the foreign affairs adviser himself for the important position he relinquished after joining the caretaker government as an adviser, following a long and successful stint in that post.