The government of Bangladesh has decided to appoint renowned human rights advocate and international figure Irene Khan as the country's next Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) in New York. She will succeed the current Permanent Representative, Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury.

According to multiple sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Khan is expected to assume her new role before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in September. The appointment is reportedly part of a broader reshuffle within the foreign ministry.
Irene Khan has been serving as the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression since August 1, 2020. She became the first woman to hold the mandate since its establishment in 1993.

Currently, Khan teaches at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. She is also the co-author of The Unheard Truth: Poverty and Human Rights, a book published in seven languages.

From 2001 to 2009, Khan served as Secretary General of Amnesty International, where she expanded the organization’s work beyond political and civil rights to include economic, social, and cultural rights. As Amnesty’s first female leader, she launched the organization’s first global campaign to end violence against women and girls.

She later served as Director-General of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) from 2012 to 2019, leading international initiatives on the rule of law, justice, and sustainable development. During her tenure, she was a strong advocate for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, which focuses on peace, justice, and strong institutions.

Earlier, in 2010–2011, Khan worked as a Consulting Editor at The Daily Star, writing on human rights, democracy, and gender issues while supporting media freedom.
Khan began her professional career with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and spent 21 years serving in various countries. She held senior positions including Chief of Mission in India and Deputy Director of the Division of International Protection.

She currently serves on the boards of the Overseas Development Institute (UK), BRAC (Bangladesh), and BarefootLaw (Uganda). She has also been a member of the World Bank’s Gender Advisory Council, the UNAIDS High-Level Panel, and the UN Global Compact Advisory Council.

In recognition of her outstanding contributions to human rights, Khan received several international honors, including the prestigious Sydney Peace Prize in 2006.
A distinguished Bangladeshi national, Irene Khan pursued higher education at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom and Harvard Law School in the United States. Her appointment is expected to strengthen Bangladesh’s diplomatic engagement at the United Nations and enhance its international profile on human rights and global governance issues.