The cabinet today congratulated Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman on his election as president of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The cabinet extended its congratulations at a meeting held at the Public Administration Conference Room of the Cabinet Division at the Secretariat, according to a release issued by the Prime Minister's Press Wing.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman chaired the meeting, which began at around 7:30pm.

According to the Prime Minister's Press Wing, the cabinet viewed Khalilur's election to the prestigious post as a reflection of Bangladesh's increasing prestige, diplomatic capability and the confidence placed in the country in multilateral forums.

The foreign minister returned to Dhaka from New York earlier in the day.

Khalilur was elected president of the 81st session of the UNGA on Tuesday, defeating Cyprus' Ambassador Andreas Kakouris in a closely contested election.

The 81st session of the UNGA will formally open on September 8, while the high-level General Debate, featuring speeches by heads of state and government, will begin on September 22.

As UNGA president, Khalilur will preside over the session for one year.