Dhaka, June 17 -- Bangladesh has been elected chair of the bureau of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for the first time.

Bangladesh Ambassador Nahida Sobhan, who is also the permanent representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations office and other international organizations in Geneva, assumed the position on Tuesday.

In a media statement, the Bangladesh Mission in Geneva said Bangladesh had never previously served on the Executive Committee bureau since the it began operations in 1959.

The mission said the bureau is a four-member leadership body that provides guidance to the Executive Committee and helps build consensus among member states on global refugee and forced displaceme...