Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Muscat

The Ambassador of Bangladesh to the Sultanate of Oman, H.E. Rear Admiral Khondkar Misbah ul Azim, joined the Bangladesh Embassy in Muscat on 20 February 2025 and presented his credentials to His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq on 09 April 2025. H.E. Rear Admiral Azim is a distinguished naval officer who joined the Bangladesh Navy (BN) on 01 January 1987 and received his commission with distinction in the Executive Branch after completing basic naval officer training at the Royal Malaysian Navy. He ranked 1st in both seniority and merit in his batch (87A) of the Bangladesh Navy. H.E. Azim earned a PhD from the Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) on contemporary maritime governance issues and holds an MPhil, a Master’s in Defence Studies (MDS) from the National University, Bangladesh, an MSc in Strategic Studies from Madras University, India, and a third Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the National Defence University, China, obtaining first class in all. During his student life, he received the Chancellor Award from the Hon’ble President for outstanding academic achievements, having been placed on the combined merit list in both SSC and HSC examinations. In the international arena, H.E. Azim has served with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the Maritime Task Force and as a Military Observer in the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). He has attended numerous international courses, seminars, and workshops, and has travelled extensively. H.E. Azim is a highly decorated naval officer. He is a recipient of the highest peacetime award, the Nou-Bahini Padak (NBP), for extraordinary service; the Naval Efficiency Medal (NPP) for meritorious accomplishments; the National Integrity Award, recognizing the highest level of ethical conduct; and the National Scout Award (Silver Hilsa Medal) for his outstanding contributions to the scout movement. He has received the Chief of Naval Staff’s commendations three times and holds the rare distinction of receiving both the Bir Shresto Ruhul Amin Award from the Defence Services Command & Staff College (DSCSC) and the Best Individual Research Paper Award from the Armed Forces War Course (AFWC) at the National Defence College (NDC), Mirpur. He also holds a specialization in Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) from INS Venduruthy, where he received the Best Student Award. In his long and illustrious career, H.E. Azim held key command and leadership positions, including Commander Chattogram Naval Area (COMCHIT), Commander Dhaka Naval Area (COMDHAKA), and the coveted Commander Submarine (COMSUB). He commanded a wide range of naval ships and bases, including BNS Shah Amanat, BNS Saikat, BNS Nirbhoy, BNS S R Amin, the Bangladesh naval frigate BNS Umar Farooq (F-16), Naval Base BNS Titumir, and served as the prestigious Commandant of the Bangladesh Naval Academy (BNA). He also served as Director of Naval Operations (DNO) at Naval Headquarters, as a staff officer in the Armed Forces Division (AFD), and as Directing Staff at both DSCSC and AFWC (NDC). Rear Admiral Azim is a voracious reader and writer, an avid golfer, and has interests in chess, basketball, table tennis, and contemporary world affairs. He has published numerous articles and is proficient in Bangla, English, Malay, with basic knowledge of French. In his personal life, Rear Admiral Azim is married to Mrs. Nurtaz Azim (former Chairman, Bangladesh Navy Family Welfare Association, Dhaka and Chattogram). They have two daughters: Nuzabah, pursuing her Master’s at the London School of Economics (LSE), UK, and Mehtaz, studying undergraduate at Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington, USA.