Holding Two Roles Is Not New
Collected Photo
Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman has described his victory as President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as a victory for Bangladesh, calling it a triumph of the country’s ‘extraordinary democratic transition’. He also indicated the possibility of simultaneously holding the positions of foreign minister and the elected UN post.
In response to a journalist’s question on whether he would resign from the foreign minister’s post, Dr. Khalilur Rahman said, “Wait. Don’t be in such a hurry.”
“Forty years ago, the then foreign minister of Bangladesh held two responsibilities at the same time. There was no modern technology, no internet or email at that time. I was his special assistant. In today’s age of information technology, holding two responsibilities simultaneously is not impossible,” he added.
The foreign minister made the remarks at a press conference held on Thursday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Dedicating the victory to Bangladesh’s future, Dr. Khalilur said, “This victory is also a victory for our Prime Minister.”
“If the Prime Minister had not taken this decision and had not provided strong, consistent and uninterrupted support, we would not have been able to complete a ten-year journey in ten weeks,” he added.
He also thanked all those involved in securing the victory. “All officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, especially those working in various embassies abroad, worked tirelessly. In addition, the state minister for foreign affairs, the prime minister’s foreign affairs adviser, and all concerned worked as a team. It is this team spirit that made this victory possible,” he said.
Earlier on Thursday morning, he arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 8:51 am on an Emirates Airlines flight.
On Tuesday, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, he was elected President of the UN General Assembly for a one-year term, defeating Cyprus Foreign Minister’s Special Envoy Andreas S. Kakouris by eight votes.
Dr. Khalilur Rahman became only the second Bangladeshi to be elected to this prestigious position. The election marks a significant elevation of Bangladesh’s standing in the international arena.
He will assume office as President of the UN General Assembly for a one-year term starting in September.
