Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is unlikely to attend the BRICS Summit in New Delhi after Bangladesh’s foreign affairs minister Humaiun Kobir said that the prime minister had not been invited to the meeting.
Kobir reportedly clarified that India had invited the chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), rather than Tarique Rahman in his capacity as Bangladesh’s prime minister. His remarks were reported by Bangladeshi media outlet The Daily Star.
India, which is hosting the BRICS Summit, has invited Rahman to attend the outreach session as the current chair of BIMSTEC. The regional grouping includes India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Kobir also said that Bangladesh was looking to arrange a bilateral visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India when the timing was considered appropriate. The Bangladeshi prime minister had earlier been expected to visit India for three days from August 23, but that visit was postponed.
The issue comes at a time when relations between New Delhi and Dhaka remain strained. Tensions have increased following India’s decision to provide political asylum to former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who left Bangladesh after being ousted during a youth-led uprising in August 2024.
The Indian government has not confirmed Tarique Rahman’s participation in the BRICS Summit. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said earlier that there was no update regarding any confirmation from Dhaka about the Bangladeshi prime minister’s attendance.
The BRICS Summit is scheduled to take place at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. India is hosting leaders from the expanded BRICS grouping, with discussions expected to focus on cooperation, resilience, innovation and sustainability.
BRICS originally consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The grouping expanded in 2024 with the addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, while Indonesia joined in 2025.
The reported absence of Bangladesh’s prime minister from the summit could add another layer to the ongoing diplomatic complexities between India and Bangladesh.
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