DHAKA, May 18, 2023 (BSS) - State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam today said Dhaka is optimistic over Bangladesh's victory the International Maritime Organization (IMO) elections for the post of its Secretary General. 

"We expect good result," he told reporters at state guesthouse Padma after briefing the diplomats of the IMO council member countries stationed here to seek support in favour of the Bangladesh candidate. 
 
Bangladesh has nominated Captain Moin Uddin Ahmed as a candidate for the post of IMO Secretary-General. 

The election will take place at IMO Headquarters on July 18.
 
IMO currently has 175 Member States and three Associate Members and there are candidates from Finland, China, Turkey, Dominica, Kenya and Panama for the same post.

"To seek support in favour of Bangladesh candidate and to inform about him (candidate), the briefing was arranged," Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Seheli Sabrin told reporters at a weekly briefing on Thursday.

Bangladesh has nominated Captain Moin Ahmed as a candidate for the post who was present at the briefing, said the Spokesperson.

The election will take place at IMO Headquarters on July 18, according to the IMO.

The assembly will be invited to approve the appointment, and the elected Secretary-General will take office on January 1, 2024.

For the post of Secretary-General seven Member States have each nominated a candidate - Captain Moin Ahmed (Bangladesh), Suat Hayri Aka (T?rkiye), Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco (Panama), Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry (Dominica), Nancy Karigithu (Kenya), Minna Kivim"ki (Finland) and Zhang Xiaojie (China).

Bangladesh Captain Moin Ahmed was elected as the Director-General of International Maritime Satellite Organization (IMSO) in their 25th assembly session.

He was first elected as the Director General in November, 2014 and commenced his position in April, 2015.

He was a Senior Technical Officer in IMO Maritime Safety Division, before his nomination as the Director General of IMSO in 2014.