Dhaka, Aug. 18 -- Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed its embassies, consulates and diplomatic residences abroad to take down portraits of President Md Shahabuddin, in a move that breaks with more than five decades of diplomatic tradition.

The directive, issued verbally on 15 August, has not been circulated through formal letters or emails. Instead, officials conveyed the order by telephone to several ambassadors and high commissioners, who were asked to pass the message to other missions and monitor compliance.

Diplomatic sources said while many missions in South Asia, Africa and Europe have yet to receive the instruction, others have already acted on it. "The ministry told us to remove the president's portraits from ...