Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman is set to assume the presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 8 September.

The 81st session of the UNGA will formally open on 8 September, while the high-level general debate will begin on 22 September with speeches by heads of state and government.

Khalilur Rahman will preside over the session, having been elected president of the 81st UNGA through a secret ballot at the UN headquarters in New York on 2 June.

He defeated Andreas S Kakouris, special envoy to the Foreign Minister of Cyprus, by an eight-vote margin in the election.

The election marked another significant achievement for Bangladesh in the UN, with the country securing the UNGA presidency for the second time.

Bangladesh first held the prestigious position in 1986, when former foreign secretary and politician Humayun Rashid Choudhury served as president of the 41st session of the General Assembly.

After four decades, another Bangladeshi diplomat is set to take charge of the important position at the UN General Assembly, the world’s largest multilateral forum.

As UNGA president, Dr Khalilur Rahman will chair plenary meetings and oversee the Assembly’s work during the 81st session, including the high-level general debate.