Kingston, 17 February 2026 — His Excellency Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury presented his credentials to the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), Ms. Leticia Carvalho, as Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the ISA, during a ceremony held on 17 February 2026 at ISA Headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica.
Ambassador Chowdhury is a career diplomat who joined the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1998. He most recently served as an Ambassador of Bangladesh to Nepal from November 2020 to December 2024. Over the course of his career, he has represented Bangladesh in New Delhi, New York and Islamabad. He has contributed at headquarters across portfolios spanning United Nations affairs, economic affairs, Protocol and external publicity. He also holds concurrent accreditation as the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York, a role to which he was appointed in January 2025.
During the ceremony, Ambassador Chowdhury reiterated Bangladesh’s strong commitment to the ISA’s mandate under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. He underlined Bangladesh’s support of the precautionary approach, which must guide collective efforts towards responsible deep-sea governance, stating that “The deep seabed is more than a resource frontier, but a shared inheritance of humanity and future generations. Bangladesh remains fully dedicated to constructive engagement in advancing the principle of the common heritage of humankind.” Ambassador Chowdhury also stressed the importance of equitable benefit-sharing, including financial redistribution, technology transfer, capacity-building and access to scientific knowledge for least developed countries and other developing States.
Secretary-General Carvalho warmly welcomed Ambassador Chowdhury and acknowledged Bangladesh’s sustained and principled engagement in the ISA’s institutional and substantive work. She highlighted the contributions of Bangladesh’s representatives to the Finance Committee, most notably the service of Rear Admiral Md Khurshed Alam and the continued participation of Sheikh Mahmudul Hassan, as expressions of the country’s constructive commitment to sound financial governance. She also noted Bangladesh’s consistent advocacy within ISA processes, strong environmental safeguards and transparent and equitable benefit-sharing arrangements in the finalization of the Mining Code, which reflects a broader dedication to fairness and stewardship of the global commons. Secretary-General Carvahlo stated, “Bangladesh’s forward-looking and grounded perspectives on the realities of climate-vulnerable developing countries strengthen our collective capacity to govern the deep seabed for the benefit of all humankind. We look forward to building a close partnership through both leadership and friendship.”
Both Secretary-General Carvahlo and Ambassador Chowdhury are committed to ensuring that the ISA remains a credible, effective and inclusive institution that regulates activities in the Area in a manner that protects the marine environment and delivers equitable benefits to present and future generations.
About ISA
The International Seabed Authority is an autonomous intergovernmental organization established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to organize, regulate and control activities in the seabed beyond national jurisdiction for the benefit of humankind as a whole. ISA is committed to ensuring that all activities in the deep seabed are carried out responsibly, using the best available scientific evidence and in accordance with the principle of the common heritage of humankind.
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ISA Communications Unit, news@isa.org.jm
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