Bangladesh foreign minister silent on PM Rahman's attendance at New Delhi BRICS summit

Bangladesh has yet to confirm Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's attendance at the BRICS summit scheduled for September 12-13 in New Delhi. When asked, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, who assumed the presidency of the 81st UN General Assembly session, said he could not speak in a national capacity and offered to answer only in his foreign-minister role. India invited Rahman to the summit's outreach session, citing his position as chair of BIMSTEC, a regional grouping that includes Bangladesh and several neighboring countries.

The invitation arrives at a time of heightened tension after New Delhi provided political asylum to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following her ouster in August 2024. India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal indicated that no confirmation from Dhaka has been received. The BRICS gathering, now expanded to eleven members, will address global challenges such as the economic fallout from the West Asia crisis.