Govt appoints Khalilur Rahman as high representative on Rohingya issue

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday appointed Khalilur Rahman as the high representative on the "Rohingya crisis and matters of priority."

The Cabinet Division issued a gazette notification on Tuesday, confirming the appointment.

Khalilur, a distinguished diplomat and academic, began his career in the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) in 1979 after securing the first position in the first regular BCS examinations of 1977. He also ranked first class first in his MA in Economics from Dhaka University in 1977.

His career highlights include serving as an executive at the American Express International Bank (1978-79) and representing Bangladesh at various global forums. During his tenure at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1983-85), he served in the South Asia Division and as Private Secretary to the Foreign Minister before being transferred to Bangladesh's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York in 1985.

Khalilur Rahman was an influential figure at the UN, representing Bangladesh at the Economic and Financial Committee of the UN General Assembly and serving as the spokesperson for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). He joined the UN secretariat in 1991 as a Special Adviser at the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva, where he made substantive contributions to UN flagship publications and reports on trade, finance, and development.

An alumnus of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government,

Khalilur Rahman holds an MA in Law and Diplomacy and a PhD in Economics.