Pranay Kumar Verma
Pranay Kumar Verma | |
|---|---|
Pranay in 2024 | |
| High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh | |
| Assumed office 22 October 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Vikram Doraiswami |
| Ambassador of India to Vietnam | |
| In office 25 July 2019 – 29 July 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Parvathaneni Harish |
| Succeeded by | Sandeep Arya |
| Personal details | |
| Occupation | Indian Foreign Service |
Pranay Kumar Verma is the High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh.[1][2] He is the former Ambassador of India to Vietnam.[3]
Early life
Verma did his bachelor's degree in Mechanical engineering.[4] He briefly worked at Tata Steel.[4] He did his master's degree at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in Chinese language.[4]
Career
Verma joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1994.[5]
On 25 July 2019, Verma was appointed the Ambassador of India to Vietnam.[4] He was the previous Director General (DG) of the East Asia Division at the Ministry of External Affairs.[6]
Verma was appointed High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh on 29 July 2022.[7] He replaced Vikram Doraiswami.[5] He presented his credentials to President Mohammad Abdul Hamid on 28 October 2022.[8]
Controversy
In December 2025, Bangladeshi investigative outlet published a report examining the conduct of Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Kumar Verma, during Bangladesh’s July–August 2024 political unrest. The report alleged that Verma maintained telephone contact and held meetings with senior Awami League leaders, including individuals later convicted by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal for crimes against humanity, at a time when security forces were accused by the United Nations of using lethal force against civilians. It further noted that Verma publicly welcomed what he described as a “gradual restoration of normalcy” while large-scale violence was ongoing. The publication argued that such engagement raised questions about diplomatic neutrality and responsibility, and suggested that Bangladesh had grounds under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to declare him persona non grata. The report did not allege criminal liability and acknowledged that Verma did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication.[9][10]
References
- ^ "Pranay Verma, new Indian High Commissioner arrived Dhaka". www.kalerkantho.com. September 2022. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
- ^ "IFS officer Pranay Kumar Verma appointed Indian envoy to Bangladesh". ThePrint. 2022-07-29. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
- ^ "Shri Pranay Kumar Verma appointed as new Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka". The Business Standard. 2022-07-29. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
- ^ a b c d "Pranay Kumar Verma appointed next Indian envoy to Bangladesh". The Financial Express. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
- ^ a b "IFS officer Pranay Verma appointed India's new ambassador to Bangladesh". ThePrint. 2022-07-29. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
- ^ "Pranay Kumar Verma appointed new Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh". Retrieved 2024-08-03.
- ^ "Pranay Verma next Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka, reports say". The Daily Star. 2022-07-12. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
- ^ "New Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma presents credentials to President Hamid". New Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma presents credentials to President Hamid. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
- ^ Post, The Listening (2025-12-17). "Why Bangladesh has grounds to declare the Indian High Commissioner persona non grata". The Deltagram. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ^ "Fact-Finding Report Human Rights Violations and Abuses related to the Protests of July and August 2024 in Bangladesh" (PDF). United Nations Office of Human Rights. Retrieved 17 December 2025.