DHAKA: Bangladesh has been re-elected a member of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) securing the highest votes in its elections held at the United Nations on Thursday.

Ismat Jahan, Bangladeshi candidate for the election, was re-elected as a member of the UN-CEDAW for the second successive term (2015-2018) with securing top 5th highest votes.

The foreign ministry on Friday said the victory “brightened” Bangladesh’s image abroad and testifies to the country’s achievements in MDGs related to women's issues, press release said.

It added that after the January 5 election, there was fear by many that Bangladesh candidate to the CEDAW committee may not able to get elected due to negative campaign by a group of Bangladesh leadership in the UN and also in Bangladesh.

“But Bangladesh Permanent Mission and the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry took the challenge and to everybody's surprise Bangladesh candidate Ambassador Ismat Jahan got re-elected for the second term (2015-2018) with securing top 5th highest votes,” the release  added.

BDST: 1245 HRS, JUNE 27, 2014