AFM Gousal Azam Sarker

AFM Gousal Azam Sarker is a Bangladeshi Diplomat of the 1986 batch of Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS-FA), and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1989. He is also the former Ambassador of Bangladesh to Iran, former Ambassador of Bangladesh to Lebanon, and the former Ambassador of Bangladesh to Sweden. He is presently the Chairman of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies.

Personal life
Gousal Azam Sarker was born on 8 February 1964 as the eldest son to late Freedom Fighter Rais Uddin Sarker, a recognised veteran (Mukti Bahini) of the Bangladesh War for Liberation, 1971. He is an Alma Mater of the University of Dhaka where he completed his Bachelor's (Honours) degree in English Literature, and his Masters degree in English Linguistics. Subsequently, he received a second Masters degree in International Policy & Practice (MIPP) from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., USA.

He is married to his wife Sadia Azam and has two sons and a daughter.

Career
Ambassador Sarker joined the foreign affairs cadre of the Bangladesh Civil Service in 1986.

In his long diplomatic career, Ambassador Sarker served in various capacities in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs including as Director General (Europe) and Director General (International Organisations). He served in Bangladesh Missions in Paris, Kathmandu, Cairo, Hong Kong SAR, Stockholm, Beirut, and Tehran. He served as Bangladesh’s Consul General in Hong Kong SAR, and Ambassador to Sweden, Lebanon, and Iran with concurrent accreditation to Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Tajikistan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

Ambassador Sarker was the Director General of Europe and International Organisations wings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 2008-2010.

In 2014, Ambassador Sarker was the first Ambassador of Bangladesh to Lebanon. He and the Head of Chancery at the embassy, ATM Monemul Haque, had filed multiple complaints against each other with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Foreign Ministry recalled both men after the Foreign Ministry sent the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Egypt to investigate the issue.

Ambassador Sarker was appointed Ambassador of Bangladesh to Sweden in September 2010 and presented his credentials to the King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf in November.

In June 2019, Ambassador Sarker was appointed the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Iran.

In March 2023, Manjurul Karim Khan replaced Ambassador Sarker as the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Iran. He was appointed chairman of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies.