Dr. Khalilur Rahman elected President of UNGA

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman has been elected as the President of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

He won the election held at the UN headquarters on Tuesday, defeating his rival candidate from Cyprus.

The voting to this prestigious post was held at 10am (NY Time) in the General Assembly Hall, UNHQs on Tuesday, June 2.

In 1986-87 sessions, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Humayun Rasheed Chowdhury was elected president of the 41st General Assembly.

The country regained the post four decades later.

The 81st session of the UNGA is scheduled to open on September 8, 2026.

Dr. Khalilur Rahman was sworn in as the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh on February 17, 2026. His previous roles included National Security Adviser and High Representative for the Rohingya Issue in the Interim Government of Bangladesh.

Dr. Rahman joined the diplomatic service of Bangladesh in 1979, securing the first position in the first regular civil service examination. In the same year, he secured first position in the MA examinations in Economics at the University of Dhaka. Between 1980 and 1983, he pursued advanced studies at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, earning his MA in Law and Diplomacy and PhD in Economics.

During 1983-1991, he served at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York. He represented Bangladesh at the Economic and Financial Committee of the UN General Assembly. He was also the spokesperson of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and aide to the President of the 41" Session of the UN General Assembly.

In 1999, Dr. Rahman joined the United Nations secretariat as Special Adviser at the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva. During the ensuing 25 years at the UN, he held senior positions in the United Nations in New York and Geneva, and was a lead author of and substantive contributor to major UN flagship publications.

As a founding member of the East West University in Dhaka, Dr. Rahman served on its Board of Trustees until November 2024. Subsequently, he was appointed as the High Representative on the Rohingya Issue and later as National Security Adviser.

Dr. Rahman is married with two daughters and four grandchildren.