Dhaka: Palestine has withdrawn its candidature for the presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for the 2026-2027 term.
According to United News of Bangladesh, following the withdrawal of the Palestinian candidature, Bangladesh will now compete with Cyprus for the position. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has nominated Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman for the role.
Bangladesh had floated its candidature ahead of Palestine. The election for the President of the United Nations General Assembly for the eighty-first session is scheduled for June 2 at the General Assembly Hall, UN Headquarters, as per Rule 30 of the Rules of Procedure. In accordance with the established regional rotation, the President will be elected from the Asia-Pacific Group.
The President of the eightieth session, Annalena Baerbock, will organize informal interactive dialogues with the candidates in May 2026. Bangladesh previously held the prestigious position in 1986-87 when then-Foreign Minister Humayun Rasheed Chowdhury was elected President of the 41st General Assembly. Now, forty years later, Bangladesh aims to reclaim the post.
The 81st session of the UNGA will commence on September 8, 2026, with the high-level General Debate starting on September 22, 2026. Initially, the interim government had nominated former Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain as Bangladesh's candidate.