Dhaka: Bangladesh on Wednesday has been elected member of the Executive Board (EB) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), for the 2017-2021 term.

A total of 144 countries out of 184 voted for Bangladesh to join the executive board for third time, according to an Education Ministry press release received here on Thursday.

The voting was held at the 39th session of the General Conference of UNESCO in Paris.

Soon after the result, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid phoned Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and informed the matter and the premier, however, congratulated the Bangladesh delegation at the 39th General Conference of UNESCO.

The UNESCO's executive board consists of 58 member countries are elected for a four-year mandate.

Nahid is leading a high-level Bangladesh delegation in the conference of UNESCO. The delegate members include Md Sohrab Hossain, secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division and Md Manjur Hossain, secretary of UNESCO National Commission of Bangladesh.