DHAKA, June 17: Dhaka has expressed its utter disappointment at its debacle in the just-held election to the post of the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

All hopes of Bangladesh candidate Salauddin Qader Chowdhury were dashed when Turkey's Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu came out successful in Tuesday's OIC ballot in Istanbul with a big margin.

"We're disappointed at the result," said Reaz Rahman, advisor to the foreign affairs ministry. Dhaka lobbied with gusto for over a year, leaving no stone unturned and very few capitals unvisited.

So far, an amount of around Taka 20 crore was spent on the campaign. Reaz Rahman, however, declined to point any reason behind the failure. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu got elected securing 32 votes in the 57-member organization.