LONDON: Bangladesh on Thursday elected the director general (DG) of the International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO), an inter-governmental organization whose primary purpose is the oversight of certain public satellite safety and security communication services provided by mobile satellite communication systems.

Bangladesh representative Captain Moin Uddin Ahmed has been elected the IMSO DG at the 23rd session of the IMSO assembly in London beating the candidates from France, Germany, Italy and Rumania.

Sources told banglanews that Captain Moin Uddin Ahmed got 49 votes defeating Rumanian candidate who got 37 votes in the fourth and final round of voting.

Bangladesh is the first developing country who has gained the position in the 35 years’ history of IMSO.

IMSO, established in 1979, oversees certain public satellite safety and security communication services including the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) and the Long-Range Identification and Tracking of Ships (LRIT) system.

Bangladesh shipping minister Shahjahan Khan, who joined the IMSO assembly in London, said that the country’s one after another recent success at different international bodies’ elections indicate the confidence of other states on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“IMSO could play a vital role to lifting the country as a middle income state and to build the Digital Bangladesh,” he added.

On the other hand the new IMSO DG Captain Moin Uddin Ahmed also thanked Sheikh Hasina and expressed his will to strengthening technical help on safety issue at water transport.

This is the sixth victory of Bangladesh at different international bodies within past six months.

Earlier, the country achieved the president posts of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Inter-Parliamentary Union along with the memberships of the United Nations Human Rights Council, International Telecommunication Union Council and United Nations’ Committee to protect inequality to the women.

BDST: 0948 HRS, NOV 27, 2014