In a historic milestone for its 53-year membership in UNESCO, Bangladesh has been elected as the President of the 43rd General Conference of the organisation.

The election took place during the 222nd session of the UNESCO Executive Board in Paris. Ambassador Khondker M Talha, Bangladesh’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO and Ambassador to France, Monaco, and Côte d'Ivoire, secured the presidency with a 30-27 vote victory over Japan, according to a statement from the Bangladesh Embassy in France.

Initially, Bangladesh, Japan, India, and South Korea were in the race, but India and South Korea withdrew their candidacies in September.

This marks the first time Bangladesh has assumed such a high position in UNESCO.

Ambassador Talha will take over from Simona Mirela Miculescu of Romania during the upcoming General Conference session in Samarkand, Uzbekistan later this month.

Leading figures from Bangladesh, including Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, Education Adviser CR Abrar, and Cultural Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, praised the achievement.

Prof Yunus hailed it as a landmark moment and credited the leadership team for a successful campaign.

"This is a proud moment for Bangladesh."

CR Abrar stated:

"This election to UNESCO's highest office will bring global attention to Bangladesh's role in arts, culture, and education."

Farooki added:

"Our participation in recent UNESCO sessions has earned respect, and now we have a powerful platform to showcase our cultural vibrancy to the world."

Ambassador Talha thanked all member states for their trust:

"This is a historic achievement. I will work with full commitment to uphold UNESCO’s mission in these critical times for global multilateralism."