Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman may not attend the BRICS Summit in New Delhi after Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Minister Humaiun Kobir said that the prime minister was not invited to the meeting.
Kobir said the invitation was extended instead to the chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
“How shall we go? Has anyone from the Bangladesh government been invited? Our prime minister was not invited. Who told you that our Prime Minister was invited? The BIMSTEC Chair was invited,” Kobir was quoted as saying by Bangladeshi news outlet The Daily Star.
India invited BIMSTEC chair for BRICS outreach
According to a PTI report, India, which is hosting the BRICS Summit, invited Rahman to attend the summit’s outreach session in his capacity as the current chair of BIMSTEC.
BIMSTEC is a regional grouping comprising India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan.
The development comes as Bangladesh seeks to participate in the BRICS-related outreach programme through its role in the regional grouping.
BRICS Summit in New Delhi
The 18th BRICS Summit is scheduled to take place at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 12 and 13.
India is hosting the summit as BRICS chair for 2026. Leaders including the presidents of Russia and Iran are expected to attend the summit.
The official theme of India’s BRICS presidency is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
What is BRICS?
BRICS was established in 2009 as a forum bringing together major emerging economies seeking greater representation and influence in international institutions traditionally dominated by Western powers.
The grouping has since expanded its membership and emerged as an important platform for discussions on global economic and geopolitical issues.
The New Delhi summit is expected to focus on cooperation among member countries and a range of pressing global challenges.
