Bangladesh unlikely to attend BRICS summit in New Delhi

Bangladesh is unlikely to send a representative to the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) summit in New Delhi on Sept. 12-13, with a senior official saying Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was not invited in his government capacity.

State minister for foreign affairs Humaiun Kobir said the invitation was extended to Rahman as chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), not as Bangladesh prime minister. He also said Rahman’s first visit to India should be bilateral, not multilateral.

India has separately invited Rahman for a bilateral visit.

The summit comes amid strained India-Bangladesh relations following former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s Aug. 5 media appearance in New Delhi. Bangladesh condemned the event, while India said it had no role in arranging it and did not endorse her remarks.

India-Bangladesh bilateral merchandise trade totaled about $12.7 billion in fiscal 2025-26, with Bangladesh importing roughly $11 billion from India and exporting about $1.75 billion.