Bangladesh’s BRICS Summit Attendance Remains Unclear
India is still unsure if Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will attend the BRICS Summit next week. The summit will take place in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. This uncertainty continues just one week before the important event.
The Indian government invited Mr. Rahman to the summit. He was asked to join the outreach session. This invitation was sent because he is the current chairman of BIMSTEC. India had also invited him for a separate bilateral visit earlier.
However, the situation became difficult due to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. She is currently staying in India. Her continued political activities related to Bangladesh have caused problems.
On August 5, Ms. Hasina spoke at a press conference. It was held virtually at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in New Delhi. Bangladesh has accused her of campaigning against its government.
The Bangladesh government was very unhappy about this incident. Dhaka expressed its strong displeasure in several ways. It also asked India again to send Ms. Hasina back to Bangladesh. Dhaka urged India to stop her political activities.
This incident is linked to a decision about Mr. Rahman’s visit. His planned bilateral visit to India before the BRICS Summit was affected. Uncertainty now surrounds who will represent Bangladesh at the summit.
Mr. Randhir Jaiswal is the spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. On Friday, he said he had no new information. He did not know if Mr. Rahman would attend or if someone else would represent Bangladesh.
Recently, Delhi Police refused permission for another event. Several people linked to the Awami League were to attend. This group’s activities are banned in Bangladesh.
Ms. Hasina has also given new interviews to Indian media. Mr. Jaiswal declined to comment on these interviews. He stated the Indian government had nothing to say about them.
A journalist asked about the timing of Ms. Hasina’s interviews. Mr. Jaiswal again said he had no comment. Another journalist mentioned Ms. Hasina’s statements about returning to Bangladesh.
Ms. Hasina said she had no agreement with the Bangladesh government. She also said no secret talks were happening about her return. She requested personal security and access to her lawyers. She wanted a free and fair trial.
When asked if Ms. Hasina had told India about these requests, Mr. Jaiswal replied he had no information.
