Tarique Rahman's BRICS summit visit to India remains unconfirmed

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman declined to say if Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will attend the BRICS outreach in India. The silence keeps Dhaka's summit plans uncertain amid strained ties with New Delhi.

In Short

• Khalilur Rahman declined comment, citing his UN General Assembly role
• India invited Bangladesh through BIMSTEC outreach as chair of the regional bloc
• New Delhi said it has received no confirmation from Dhaka so far

UN General Assembly President and Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman on Tuesday did not say whether Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would attend the BRICS Summit in India later this week, after New Delhi invited him to an outreach session of the grouping.

India will host the annual BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, where leaders are expected to discuss several pressing global challenges, including the economic consequences of the West Asia crisis.

Responding to a question from PTI on whether the Bangladeshi prime minister would take part in the summit, Rahman said at a press briefing in New York, "I'm not here (in a) national capacity, so please forgive me... I will really ask all of you to ask me questions or approach me in my capacity as the President of the General Assembly. If there are bilateral issues, I'm still the Foreign Minister; I'll speak to you separately." Rahman assumed charge as President of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

His remarks came amid uncertainty over Dhaka's participation in the summit, which India is hosting as the current chair of BRICS. India has invited Tarique Rahman to attend the outreach session in his capacity as the current chair of BIMSTEC, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. BIMSTEC comprises India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan.

Bangladesh's participation in the summit is being closely watched amid strained ties with India after New Delhi gave political asylum to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to the country after her ouster in a youth-led uprising in August 2024. Earlier on Tuesday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in New Delhi that there was no update to share on any confirmation from Dhaka on the Bangladeshi prime minister's participation in the BRICS summit.

BRICS, which originally comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, with Indonesia joining in 2025. The grouping brings together 11 major emerging economies, representing around 49.5 per cent of the global population, around 40 per cent of global GDP and around 26 per cent of global trade.

In sum, Rahman did not comment on Tarique Rahman's possible visit to India for the BRICS summit, even as New Delhi awaits a confirmation from Dhaka and preparations continue for the September 12-13 meeting.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends