This is the first time Bangladesh has been elected to UNESCO's top position. — Photo The Daily Star/ANN

DHAKA — Bangladesh has been elected president of the 43rd General Conference of UNESCO, marking a historic milestone in its 53-year membership with the organisation.

At the 222nd session of the Unesco Executive Board in Paris yesterday, Bangladesh’s candidate Ambassador Khondker M Talha secured the presidency with a 30–27 victory over Japan, according to a statement from the Bangladesh embassy in France.

Initially, four countries — Bangladesh, Japan, India, and South Korea — contested the post, but India and South Korea withdrew in September. This is the first time Bangladesh has been elected to Unesco’s top position.

Ambassador Talha, Bangladesh’s permanent delegate to Unesco and ambassador to France, Monaco, and Côte d’Ivoire, will succeed Ambassador Simona Mirela Miculescu of Romania at the upcoming General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, later this month.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus called it “a landmark achievement” and thanked the advisers and Bangladesh’s permanent mission for leading the campaign.

Education Adviser Dr CR Abrar said the election would “bring global attention to Bangladesh’s contributions in arts, culture, and education,” while Cultural Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki noted it offered “a powerful platform to project the vibrancy of our artistic, cultural, and heritage landscape.”

Appointed as Bangladesh’s Permanent Delegate to Unesco in 2021, Ambassador Talha expressed gratitude to the Executive Board members. “This is a historic achievement for our country,” he said, pledging to uphold Unesco’s mandate “during this critical time for global multilateralism.” — THE DAILY STAR/ANN