, Sept. 17 -- Bangladesh will now face competition from Cyprus and Palestine in the race for the presidency of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for the 2026-2027 term, following Palestine's entry as the third candidate.

Bangladesh had announced its candidacy around four-five years ago during the Awami League government.

"We announced our candidacy four years ago. Initially, our competition was with Cyprus. Palestine came much later and announced its candidacy without even contacting us, which is normally expected," Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, Bangladesh's nominee for the position, told reporters on Tuesday.

Criticising recent media headlines, Hossain said the headline was written as 'Bangladesh faces Pales...