Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman Not Invited To BRICS Summit: Foreign Affairs Minister

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has not been invited to attend the BRICS summit in New Delhi in that capacity, Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Minister Humaiun Kobir has said, adding that the invitation was instead extended to the Chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

“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 (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Chair was invited.” Kobir was quoted as saying by Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star.

India, which is hosting the BRICS summit, has invited Rahman to its outreach session in his capacity as the current BIMSTEC Chair, PTI reported.

BIMSTEC is a regional grouping comprising India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan.

Bilateral India Visit Being Worked Out

Kobir said the Bangladesh government was working to arrange a bilateral visit by Rahman to India when the “timing is conducive.”

Rahman had been expected to make a three-day official visit to India from Aug 23, but the visit was postponed.

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MEA Says No Confirmation From Dhaka

Earlier on Tuesday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in New Delhi that there was no update on any confirmation from Dhaka regarding Rahman's participation in the BRICS summit.