India says Tarique invited as BIMSTEC chair
India on Tuesday confirmed that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has been invited to attend the outreach session of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi in his capacity as the current Chair of BIMSTEC, while reiterating that a separate bilateral invitation for an official visit to India has been in place since he assumed office in February this year.
The clarification came amid discussions in Bangladesh over the invitation and ahead of the BRICS Summit, which India will host on September 12-13 under the theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
“You would be aware that a formal invitation to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to visit India was extended when he assumed office in February 2026,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a media briefing in New Delhi.
Referring to the BRICS Summit, Jaiswal said India had separately invited the Bangladesh prime minister to participate in the outreach session in his capacity as Chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
“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.
BIMSTEC comprises seven Bay of Bengal countries – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Bangladesh assumed the rotating chairmanship of the regional grouping in April last year for a two-year term, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening regional cooperation and development.
On July 29, Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman said the government was still reviewing the invitation.
“We are reviewing it now. We will take a decision and inform you immediately,” he told reporters.
India’s BRICS presidency is being guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” reflecting what New Delhi describes as a people-centric and humanity-first approach articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2025 BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
The previous BRICS Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 6-7, 2025, under the theme “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.”
BRICS currently comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Its partner countries are Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
India distances itself from Hasina event
Responding to questions about former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s reported media engagement in New Delhi on August 5, the MEA spokesperson said the Indian government had no involvement in the event.
“The interaction that you are referring to is being organised by a private media entity. The government has no involvement whatsoever in it, nor does it endorse any views that may be expressed at the forum,” Jaiswal said.
His remarks came a day after Bangladesh conveyed to India that it expects New Delhi’s cooperation in ensuring that no individual, including fugitive former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, is allowed to use Indian territory for political activities or statements aimed at destabilising Bangladesh.
Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir conveyed the message during a meeting with newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Kobir said such activities could undermine the positive momentum in bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Indian media have reported that Hasina is expected to make a virtual appearance at an event organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia (FCC South Asia) in New Delhi on August 5, nearly two years after leaving Bangladesh following the student-led mass protests.
