Bangladesh Rejects Invitation for Prime Minister to Attend BRICS Outreach Session

Bangladesh declined an invitation for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to join the outreach session of the 18th BRICS Summit scheduled for Sept 12-13 in New Delhi, stating the invite was intended for the chair of Bimstec, not the prime minister. State minister for foreign affairs Humaiun Kobir told reporters that no government representative could be sent because the PM was not formally invited. India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had earlier announced the invitation, noting the PM’s role as Bimstec chair and mentioning a separate bilateral invitation dating from February.

Dhaka emphasized that any visit by Tarique Rahman to India would be bilateral and timed appropriately. The episode occurs against a backdrop of strained New Delhi-Dhaka ties, including disputes over water sharing, extradition requests, and Bangladesh’s growing ties with China and Pakistan. India previously sent Lok Sabha Speaker Om Prakash Birla with a greeting letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh’s newly elected BNP government.