Bangladesh PM Gets Brics Summit Invite from India Amid Cautious Response
India has extended an invitation to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to attend the 18th Brics Summit, scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 12-13. The summit will focus on global cooperation, trade, and sustainable development.
Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam confirmed on Thursday that the invitation had been received by the ministry and forwarded to the Prime Minister's Office. No further details were provided.
This is not the first such outreach: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited Mr. Rahman in February, shortly after he assumed office. However, Mr. Rahman has not publicly indicated his acceptance. Analysts suggest that a visit to India while former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina remains in the country could provoke domestic political backlash. At the same time, Bangladesh has expressed interest in joining Brics and has received support from China and Russia for its membership bid.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are both expected to attend the summit. Mr. Rahman recently visited Malaysia and China, and has plans to travel to Japan and the United States later this year for the UN General Assembly.
India had previously invited Bangladesh to the Brics summit in 2016—the last time it hosted the event in person—as part of an outreach session for Bimstec member nations.
On the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met his Bangladeshi counterpart, Khalilur Rahman. Officials in Dhaka described the meeting as a brief exchange of greetings.
Responding to questions about regional instability, State Minister Shama Obaed said Bangladesh, as a democratic state with a democratically elected government, sought peace and stability in the region. She added that Bangladesh expected India, as a large democracy, to address its internal issues and work toward a resolution.
India's Brics chairship is guided by the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,' reflecting a people-centric approach articulated by Prime Minister Modi at the 2025 Rio Summit. Brics currently comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates as full members.
