Bangladesh assumes historic leadership role at UNHCR Executive Committee Bureau

Bangladesh has, for the first time, assumed the chairmanship of the Bureau of the Executive Committee (ExCom) of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), marking a historic milestone since the body’s establishment in 1959.

The responsibility was formally taken up in Geneva at the United Nations Office by Bangladesh Permanent Representative Ambassador Nahida Sobhani, a move widely viewed as a significant diplomatic achievement for Dhaka on the global stage.

The ExCom Bureau plays a key role in providing strategic guidance to UNHCR’s overall operations, while also fostering consensus among member states on global refugee issues and forced displacement.

Diplomatic sources said Bangladesh was unanimously nominated as the regional candidate from the Asia-Pacific group following internal consultations. The nomination was later supported by Algeria and Austria before receiving full backing from all 110 member states of the Executive Committee.

Analysts say Bangladesh’s elevation to the post reflects growing international confidence in its multilateral diplomacy and its increasing engagement in global humanitarian affairs.

Ambassador Nahida Sobhani is a seasoned diplomat with extensive international experience. She has served in Bangladesh missions in Rome, Geneva, and Kolkata, and previously held key positions as Ambassador to Jordan and High Commissioner to Canada. She also played a significant role during the Rohingya crisis while serving as Director General of the UN wing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as member-secretary of the national task force on Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN).

Bangladesh currently hosts around 1.3 million forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals, making it one of the largest refugee-hosting countries in the world.

At a time when the global refugee situation is at a record high and humanitarian funding faces severe constraints, Bangladesh’s leadership role in the ExCom Bureau is expected to strengthen its diplomatic voice and advocacy on burden-sharing and durable solutions for displaced populations.

Officials and observers view this development as international recognition of Bangladesh’s long-standing humanitarian contributions and its active role in addressing the global displacement crisis.