Nepal's First Female Ambassador Bindashree Shah Passes Away

Bindashree Shah, Nepal's first female ambassador, passed away on Thursday morning at the age of 92.

Born on February 13, 1933 (Falgun 1, 1989 BS) in Kurseong, Darjeeling, India, Shah was the daughter of Padmasundar Mall and Jagatlakshmi Mall. Her father’s studies in Japan and the United States led to the family’s exile by the Rana Prime Minister of Nepal.

Shah became the first Nepali woman to graduate from Barnard College of Columbia University in 1956 with a degree in Liberal Arts. She earned her master’s degree in International Affairs in 1958 from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies.

She began her career in 1959 by passing the Public Service Commission exam and joining Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Shah served as Nepal’s Ambassador to India from 1988 to 1991. She also played a key role in establishing diplomatic relations with Bangladesh and setting up the Nepali Embassy in Dhaka.

Shah was the first Nepali woman to graduate from an American college and spent over three decades strengthening Nepal’s foreign policy.

She was married to Dr. Narayan Keshari Shah in 1966, and they had two sons: Anil Keshari Shah, a former banker and current leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, and the late Ujjwal Keshari Shah.

Shah's contributions to Nepal’s diplomacy and international relations are considered invaluable, leaving a lasting legacy in Nepal’s foreign affairs.