'How shall we go?': Dhaka says Tarique Rahman not invited for BRICS Summit, puts 100+ bilateral agreements under review

BRICS Summit: Amid days of speculation over Dhaka's presence at the BRICS summit, Bangladesh on Thursday said it would not be represented at the meeting in any official capacity. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir told reporters in Dhaka that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had not been invited to the summit as Bangladesh's Prime Minister, but only in his capacity as BIMSTEC chair.

Kobir said the confusion stemmed from India's August invitation to the country chairs of regional organisations. He said Bangladesh would not be sending any official representative, even as India, the host of the 2026 summit, received leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

BRICS invite and Bangladesh's stand

Responding sharply to questions from the media at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, Kobir said, "How shall we go? Has anyone from the Bangladesh government been invited? Our Prime Minister was not invited. Who told you that our Prime Minister was invited? The BIMSTEC Chair was invited. Then why are you asking this question?"

He also said Rahman's first visit to India could not be a multilateral one and that a bilateral visit would be planned at a "conducive" time. Rahman had been invited to visit India bilaterally soon after taking office on February 17.

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Regional representatives announced

In August, India invited the chairs of BIMSTEC, ASEAN, the African Union, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Eurasian Economic Union. On Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs said Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiye and Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev would attend representing ASEAN, the African Union and the Eurasian Economic Union.

CELAC and the GCC will be represented by Uruguay Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin and Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. The announcement did not include any name from Bangladesh.

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India visit talks and wider tensions

Bangladesh had earlier said Delhi and Dhaka were in consultation over a possible visit by Rahman to India. Those talks later broke down after deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, at a virtual press conference at the Foreign Correspondents Club, criticised the current government in Dhaka over law and order. Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed "outrage" over the episode.

Separately, BNP chief whip Nurul Islam Moni said Bangladesh was reviewing 101 agreements signed with India, underscoring fresh scrutiny of bilateral arrangements at a time when ties have come under strain. He also described the absence of an invitation to Mr. Rahman in his capacity as Prime Minister as disappointing.

With Dhaka now ruling out official participation in the BRICS summit, attention has shifted to whether a separate bilateral visit by Rahman to India can be worked out at a later stage.