BANGLADESH RULES OUT PREMIER TARIQUE RAHMAN’S BRICS PARTICIPATION IN INDIA

Thu 10 September 2026:

A Bangladesh Foreign Ministry official on Thursday ruled out Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s participation in the BRICS summit in India, citing the address in the invitation as the cause.

India is hosting the BRICS leaders’ summit over the weekend, which will be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin, among others.

“How shall he (prime minister) go? Has anyone from the Bangladesh government been formally invited? Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was invited to BRICS in his capacity as the BIMSTEC chair; he was not invited as the prime minister,” said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kobir.

There is “no scope” for the government to join the summit. However, a bilateral visit by the head of government to India remains a possibility, he said while talking to reporters in the capital Dhaka.

“Visits (bilateral) will take place when the environment is conducive and mutual respect is maintained; there is no need to rush matters,” he added.

India earlier said Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited Rahman in his capacity as the chairperson of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), and there has been a bilateral invitation since Bangladesh’s February election.

BIMSTEC is a platform consisting of seven member countries, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Relations between the two South Asian neighbors slid to a low point since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who currently lives in India.

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Sheikh Hasina’s Asylum: India granted refuge to Hasina after her fall from power. Dhaka demands her extradition to face criminal charges and conviction for crimes against humanity, which New Delhi has refused. A special tribunal in Bangladesh sentenced Hasina to death in absentia for crimes against humanity. Dhaka has formally demanded her extradition, but India treats the request as under examination by legal due process.

Tensions escalated significantly after Hasina and her son held a public video press conference from New Delhi criticizing the uprising that removed her. In response, Bangladesh stated that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will not visit India or attend regional summits there until New Delhi extradites Hasina.

Geopolitical Realignment: Bangladesh has pivoted toward closer economic and defense ties with China and Pakistan, shifting away from New Delhi’s regional influence.

Frustrated by long-standing delays over the Teesta water-sharing treaty due to domestic Indian politics in West Bengal, Dhaka turned to Chinese-backed river management and dam projects.

Border and Security Friction: Both sides report increased border frictions, strict visa restrictions, crackdowns on undocumented movement, and public resentment fueled by political rhetoric.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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