Will Bangladesh Prime Minister Attend BRICS Summit in India?
The attendance of Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the BRICS summit in India remains unclear. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday it has no new information. The summit will take place this weekend in New Delhi.
Randhir Jaiswal, the Indian foreign ministry spokesperson, spoke at a weekly briefing. A journalist asked about leaders confirming their participation. The journalist also asked about Prime Minister Rahman’s possible visit. Mr. Jaiswal replied he had no new details on Prime Minister Rahman’s attendance. The Prime Minister was invited as the chair of BIMSTEC. He did not share which other leaders would attend.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited Prime Minister Rahman to the outreach session. This invitation was for his role as BIMSTEC chair. Earlier, India invited Prime Minister Rahman for a bilateral visit in February. This was after he became Bangladesh’s Prime Minister. Discussions for this visit were ongoing between the two countries.
However, relations between Bangladesh and India became tense. Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina joined an event in New Delhi on August 5. This event marked the second anniversary of the July mass uprising. She spoke to journalists directly. After this, talks for Prime Minister Rahman’s visit continued. But no final date was decided.
A few days ago, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir spoke to the media. He said Prime Minister Rahman was unlikely to visit India soon. He mentioned a visit before the United Nations General Assembly was improbable.
On Tuesday, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met Bangladesh President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Their meeting was in Dhaka. A journalist asked if they discussed Prime Minister Rahman’s India visit or Sheikh Hasina. Mr. Jaiswal said it was a courtesy call. He said they discussed improving relations and people-to-people ties. He did not directly answer the question about Ms. Hasina.
Mr. Jaiswal again stated he had no new information on Prime Minister Rahman’s visit. He added that India’s engagement with Bangladesh continues. This includes cooperation in development, connectivity, and capacity building.
