Dhaka: Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman announced on Monday that the government has not yet reached a decision on whether Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will participate in the outreach session of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi next month. The minister emphasized the importance of understanding the distinction between two separate invitations that Bangladesh has received from India.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Dr Khalilur clarified to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the invitation to the BIMSTEC chairperson for the BRICS Summit was not personally addressed to the Prime Minister. He made these remarks following a courtesy call by Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, on the Prime Minister at the Secretariat. The Foreign Minister highlighted the two invitations from India: one from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a bilateral visit and another for the BIMSTEC chairperson to attend the BRICS Summit.
During the meeting, the High Commissioner extended greetings from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed a desire to collaborate with Bangladesh in a constructive manner. Discussions between the High Commissioner and Bangladeshi officials focused on strengthening bilateral relations with a people-centric approach, touching on mutual interests and potential areas for collaboration.
In addition to the Prime Minister, the Indian High Commissioner also met with Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed. Their discussions centered on enhancing bilateral relations and included topics such as security cooperation between the two nations. The High Commissioner reiterated India’s commitment to fostering people-centric cooperation across various domains, emphasizing mutual benefit and sensitivities.
On August 4, India confirmed that an invitation had been extended to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to attend the BRICS Summit in his capacity as the BIMSTEC Chair. A separate bilateral invitation has been pending since February this year. The 18th BRICS Summit is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on September 12-13, with a focus on global cooperation, trade, and sustainable development.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during a recent media briefing in New Delhi, noted that a formal invitation was extended to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman shortly after he assumed office in February 2026. The invitation for the BRICS Summit was issued as part of the standard practice for outreach sessions, with other regional group heads receiving similar invitations.
BIMSTEC, which Bangladesh currently chairs, includes seven countries from the Bay of Bengal region: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Bangladesh assumed the chairmanship of BIMSTEC in April last year, expressing its commitment to advancing regional cooperation and development.