Bangladesh Declines BRICS Outreach Invite
Bangladesh has decided not to send Prime Minister Tarique Rahman or another government representative to the BRICS Summit outreach session in New Delhi, arguing that the invitation was extended to the chair of BIMSTEC rather than to the Bangladeshi Prime Minister in his national capacity.
Dhaka Says BRICS Invite Was for BIMSTEC Chair
Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said Rahman had not been invited to attend the summit specifically as Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
India had earlier said Rahman was invited in his capacity as the current chair of BIMSTEC to participate in the outreach session of the 18th BRICS Summit.
Bangladesh is neither a BRICS member nor a partner country.
Kobir said the distinction meant there was no basis for Dhaka to send another government representative in Rahman’s place.
Bangladesh Prioritises Bilateral India Visit
The Bangladeshi government has indicated that it would prefer Rahman’s first visit to India as Prime Minister to be a dedicated bilateral engagement rather than participation in a multilateral gathering.
India has separately maintained an invitation for Rahman to make a bilateral visit, which was extended earlier this year.
Dhaka said discussions would continue over arranging such a visit when conditions and timing were considered suitable.
Decision Comes Amid Strained India-Bangladesh Ties
The decision comes at a sensitive point in India-Bangladesh relations, with several bilateral issues requiring continued diplomatic engagement.
New Delhi and Dhaka are also discussing trade and water-sharing matters, while both sides have repeatedly stressed the importance of maintaining cooperation between the neighbouring countries.
India will host the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, bringing together leaders from member countries along with selected partner and outreach participants.
