Diplomatic Desk:
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman has been elected as the President of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He won the election held at the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday (June 2, 2026) with the votes of 193 member states.
A press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Dr. Khalilur Rahman won the election by getting 99 votes. His closest rival, the candidate from Cyprus, received 91 votes.
The release said that this victory is a clear reflection of the trust, acceptance and growing diplomatic influence of the UN member states towards Bangladesh in the international arena. At the same time, it is being considered as an international recognition of Bangladesh’s active and responsible role in multilateral diplomacy, peace, development and international cooperation.
According to the government, three factors played a significant role in this success—Tarique Rahman’s leadership and strategic decisions, Bangladesh’s coordinated diplomatic efforts in a limited time, and Dr. Khalilur Rahman’s personal experience and qualifications.
The notification mentioned that when the current government took office, it had only three months to prepare for this election. Within that short period, Bangladesh had to conduct a global diplomatic campaign that usually takes years of preparation. Bangladesh was able to garner international support through high-level meetings with various countries, bilateral contacts, and active participation in multilateral forums.
Although Bangladesh officially announced its candidacy for the post of UNGA President in 2020, Dr. Khalilur Rahman was officially nominated as the candidate on February 27, 2026. Since then, the full-scale campaign has begun.
On the other hand, Bangladesh’s rival country, Cyprus, announced its candidacy in 2016 and has been campaigning continuously for almost a decade.
Dr. led the campaign activities. Khalilur Rahman, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam and Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Humayun Kabir. In addition, diplomatic missions in various countries around the world, including the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh in New York, played an important role in garnering support.
An important milestone in the election campaign was Dr. Khalilur Rahman’s interactive dialogue held at the United Nations Headquarters on May 13. In the dialogue that lasted about two and a half hours, he presented his vision statement and outlined his priorities and action plan for running the General Assembly if elected. His presentation received wide praise in diplomatic circles and later about 30 countries expressed support for Bangladesh.
Effective multilateralism, institutional reform of the United Nations, protecting the interests of developing countries, increasing international cooperation for climate-vulnerable countries, implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), contributing to peacekeeping operations and strengthening the voice of the global south received special importance in Bangladesh’s campaign.
The government expressed its sincere gratitude to the UN member states for this historic victory and reiterated Bangladesh’s strong commitment to implementing the principles and purposes of the UN.
