Rights icon Irene Khan set to represent Bangladesh at UN

The government has decided to appoint renowned human rights advocate Irene Khan as Bangladesh's next Permanent Representative to the United Nations, replacing incumbent envoy Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury.

Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Khan is expected to assume the post before the UN General Assembly session begins in September, diplomatic sources said.

Khan currently serves as the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, a position she has held since August 2020. She was the first woman appointed to the role since its creation in 1993.

An internationally respected human rights figure, Khan served as Secretary General of Amnesty International from 2001 to 2009, becoming the organisation's first female chief. During her tenure, Amnesty expanded its global advocacy on economic, social and cultural rights, alongside campaigns against violence against women.

She later served as Director-General of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) from 2012 to 2019, leading initiatives on the rule of law, justice and the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Khan began her international career with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), where she worked for more than two decades in senior roles across several countries.

Born in Bangladesh, Khan studied at the University of Manchester and Harvard Law School. Her contributions to human rights have earned her numerous international honours, including the Sydney Peace Prize in 2006.