Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has been elected the president for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. He secured 99 votes against 91 votes of Cyprus candidate Ambassador Andreas S Kakouris. The election was held today at 10:00am New York time (8:00pm BST) in the General Assembly Hall of the UN Headquarter. Bangladesh last held the prestigious position in 1986-87, when then Foreign Minister Humayun Rasheed Chowdhury was elected president of the 41st General Assembly.
Four decades later, the country reclaimed the post. The 81st session of the UNGA will open on September 8, 2026, with the high-level General Debate commencing on September 22.