Khalilur Rahman

Khalilur Rahman (; born 1 April 1954) is a Bangladeshi diplomat and economist currently serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs. In June 2026 he was elected to serve a one-year term as President of the United Nations General Assembly, beginning in September 2026.

Education Born in East Bengal, Pakistan (now Bangladesh), on 1 April 1954, Rahman was educated at Dhaka Residential Model College and later studied economics at the University of Dhaka. In 1979 he worked briefly at American Express Bank before completing a Master's degree in law and diplomacy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University in the United States. He later earned a doctorate of philosophy in economics from the Harvard Kennedy School of Harvard University.

Career

Civil service Rahman joined the Bangladesh Civil Service in 1979, From 1986 to 1991 he worked at the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations, including as First Secretary, and was a spokesperson for the least developed countries.

United Nations

Rahman joined the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) secretariat as chief of its New York office and also served as a special adviser for UNCTAD in Geneva. From April 2025 he also held the role of National Security Adviser.

In February 2026 Rahman was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of Tarique Rahman.

President of the United Nations General Assembly

On 2 June 2026, Rahman was elected to succeed Annalena Baerbock as President of the United Nations General Assembly for its 81st session. He received 99 of the 190 ballots cast, with Cyprus's candidate Andreas S. Kakouris winning 91. He will begin his term on 8 September 2026, becoming the second Bangladeshi to hold the position, after Humayun Rashid Choudhury during the 41st session in 1986−1987.

Other roles Rahman is a founding member of East West University in Dhaka and serves on its board of trustees.