Home
+
Published : 02 Jun 2026, 09:28 PM
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has been elected president of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The election was held on Tuesday night Bangladesh time at the UN Headquarters in New York.
His rival in the vote was Andreas S Kakouris, special envoy of the foreign minister of Cyprus.
The United Nations General Assembly follows a regional rotation system, under which the Asia-Pacific region was allocated the presidency for the next session.
Representatives from 193 member states voted through a secret ballot.
In addition to the two candidates, delegates were also allowed to cast write-in votes.
A total of 190 votes were cast in the election.
Khalilur secured 99 votes, while Kakouris received 91 votes.
With Khalilur's win, Bangladesh gets its second UNGA president after Humayun Rashid Choudhury in 1986.
According to information on the UN website, the presidency rotates regionally, with the Asia-Pacific region expected to produce the president this time.
The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus had earlier nominated then foreign advisor Touhid Hossain for the election.
Although Bangladesh suspended its candidacy due to another candidate from Palestine for the same post, it did not withdraw its nomination.
Later, after the Palestinian candidate withdrew, Bangladesh’s candidacy was reinstated.
Following a change of government, Khalilur was nominated as Bangladesh’s candidate in place of the interim foreign advisor.
Khalilur has spent most of his career working with different United Nations agencies.
He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after topping the first regular Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination held in 1977.
After serving as spokesperson for the least developed countries at the UN, he also served as a personal assistant to Humayun during the 41st session.
Following the Awami League government’s ouster in the July Uprising, he initially served in the interim government as the high representative on the Rohingya issues to the chief advisor.
He was later appointed national security advisor.
When the BNP formed government in February, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman appointed him foreign minister
