Asia · updated 1h ago · 3 min read
Bangladesh Rules Out Tarique Rahman’s BRICS Participation in New Delhi as BIMSTEC Chair
Bangladesh rules out Tarique Rahman's BRICS participation; no government delegation to New Delhi. Invitation extended to Rahman as BIMSTEC chair, not as prime minister.
Whether Bangladesh will send any government representative to BRICS.
2 of 3 outlets skipped it: bangladesh says it will approach Ganges Treaty expiry with gravity and efficiency.
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The Hindu
“Bangladesh will not be represented at the BRICS summit in any official capacity”Read the original ↗
Telegraph India
“there was scant indication that Bangladesh would send anyone else to represent him”
Translated from the original.
Read the original ↗One outlet is categorical; another stays tentative about other representation.
Bangladesh skips BRICS
Bangladesh said it will not be officially represented at the BRICS summit in New Delhi, with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir telling reporters in Dhaka that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was not invited as Bangladesh’s prime minister but as chair of BIMSTEC.
“Our prime minister was not invited. Who told you that our Prime Minister was invited? The BIMSTEC Chair was invited.”
Kobir said, “How shall we go? Has anyone from the Bangladesh government been invited? Our prime minister was not invited,” while ruling out the possibility of Rahman attending the BRICS summit.
The Daily Star reported that India confirmed an invitation extended to Rahman was in his capacity as the BIMSTEC Chair, and that a separate bilateral invitation has been in place since February.
The Hindu said Kobir explained that the invitation was for Rahman as head of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) and not as Prime Minister of Bangladesh.T
The BRICS Leaders’ Summit is scheduled for September 12-13 in New Delhi, with India hosting the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam.
BIMSTEC chair rationale
Kobir told reporters at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka that Rahman’s first visit to India cannot be a multilateral visit and that the government is working on arranging a bilateral visit when the timing is conducive.
The New Indian Express quoted Kobir saying, “How shall we 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,” as Dhaka ruled out Rahman’s participation.
The Hindu added that Prime Minister Rahman was invited to visit India bilaterally immediately after he took office on February 17, 2026, and that India invited the country chairs of regional organisations in August 2026.T
The Week reported that Kobir said Bangladesh will also not send any representative for the summit, while Dhaka said it wants Rahman’s first India trip framed around the bilateral relationship rather than a multilateral gathering.
The Daily Star said BRICS member States and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will attend the 18th BRICS Summit.
Diplomatic stakes and timing
Bangladesh’s decision comes as Dhaka and New Delhi navigate a relationship marked by unresolved issues, with The New Indian Express saying one immediate issue is the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty that expires in December after 30 years.
“One of the most immediate is the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, which expires in December after 30 years.”
Kobir said Dhaka would approach matters involving its national interests with “full gravity and efficiency,” while The Hindu reported that the Ministry of External Affairs announced participation by other leaders representing ASEAN, the African Union and the Eurasian Economic Union.T
The Week said the BRICS Leaders’ Summit will be held on September 12 and 13, and listed leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Hindustan Times reported that Bangladesh’s remark about Rahman not being invited comes amid strained ties with India following New Delhi’s decision to provide political asylum to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
In Dhaka, Kobir said the government is working on arranging a bilateral visit to India when the environment is favourable, and that there is “no need to rush matters” for the prime minister’s first trip.