Bangladesh’s Captain Moin Uddin Ahmed has been elected the next Director General of the International Mobile Satellite Organisation (IMSO) in a tightly contested election in London.
This is the first time in the 35-year history of IMSO that a candidate from a developing country has been elected to the position of Director General, the foreign ministry has said.This is the sixth international election that Bangladesh has contested and won in the last six months.
IMSO is an inter-governmental organisation with 99 member states and its primary purpose is the oversight of certain public satellite safety and security communication services provided by mobile satellite communication systems.
The election was held during the 23rd session of the IMSO Assembly in London on Thursday.
The foreign ministry said the Bangladesh candidate led by considerable margin in all four rounds of elections against candidates from France, Germany, Italy and Romania.
In the last round, he defeated the Romanian candidate by 49-37 votes. According to IMSO rules of procedure, the election had to go in four rounds with the lowest recipient of votes being eliminated for the following round.
In his reaction to journalists after the election, Captain Ahmed pledged that he would strengthen the technical assistance programme for marine safety and security that will also benefit Bangladesh.
He joined the Bangladesh Navy in 1976.
The foreign ministry said the election, “… also signifies the recognition of Bangladesh’s pro-active diplomatic engagement in the international arena.”
Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, who is in London to attend the IMSO Assembly, held a press briefing at the Bangladesh High Commission after the elections.
He said that the victory was yet another manifestation of international confidence in the Sheikh Hasina government.
The organisation came into being in 1979 as Inmarsat and was renamed IMSO following the adoption of the IMSO Convention and Operating Agreement in 1998.
