India Invites Bangladesh PM to BRICS Outreach Session as BIMSTEC Chair

India has extended an invitation to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to attend the outreach session of the upcoming BRICS summit, scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. The invitation has been made in his capacity as the current chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), according to the External Affairs Ministry.

Announcing this at a regular media briefing on Tuesday, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the invitation follows standard practice followed by BRICS for its outreach sessions. “The invitation has been extended as per the standard practice being followed in BRICS for the outreach sessions. Other heads of regional groups have also been invited in a similar manner,” he said in response to a question.

Mr. Jaiswal also noted that a separate invitation had been extended to Mr. Rahman for a bilateral visit to India after he assumed office in February. This reflects the continuing engagement between the two neighbouring countries, even as India prepares to host the 18th BRICS Summit in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping.

The summit is expected to deliberate extensively on pressing global challenges, including the economic consequences of the West Asia crisis. Leaders from several member countries are expected to attend, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

BRICS, originally comprising 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 now brings together 11 major emerging economies, representing approximately 49.5 per cent of the global population, around 40 per cent of the global GDP, and about 26 per cent of global trade.

India has invited leaders of a number of non-BRICS countries to attend the outreach session, in keeping with the tradition of engaging with regional organisations and partner countries. The participation of the Bangladesh Prime Minister as BIMSTEC chair underscores the growing significance of regional cooperation platforms in addressing shared challenges.

BIMSTEC is a regional grouping comprising India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan. Its primary objective is to accelerate economic growth and social progress in the region through multi-sectoral cooperation, including trade, technology, energy, transport, and security.

The invitation to Bangladesh also comes against the backdrop of evolving India-Bangladesh ties. Both countries have historically shared close cultural, economic, and strategic links. Analysts note that Bangladesh’s engagement with BRICS and other multilateral platforms is likely to shape the future trajectory of regional diplomacy.

The BRICS summit in New Delhi will be a key moment for the grouping to consolidate its expanded membership and discuss reforms of global governance institutions. The outreach session, in particular, is designed to foster dialogue between BRICS members and leaders of other emerging economies and regional bodies.