E-Paper
Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman received 2 India invites, we haven't heard back: MEA
Tarique Rahman skipped the BRICS Summit, hosted by India in New Delhi last week.
Prefer HTon Google
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was invited to India on two occasions, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Tuesday. One invitation was for a bilateral visit and another to attend the BRICS Summit as chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), he said.
Rahman did not attend the summit hosted in New Delhi last week and has not yet visited India for the bilateral engagement.
“We had invited Prime Minister of Bangladesh on a bilateral visit, as also subsequently he was invited for the BRICS Summit as Chair of BIMSTEC. So he had received two invitations, one on the bilateral side and the other for the BRICS Summit as well,” the MEA spokesperson said.
“On the visit of the [Bangladesh] Prime Minister, we have not heard anything. As and when we have something to update you with, we'll surely come back,” Randhir Jaiswal added when asked about Rahman's proposed visit to India.
India-Bangladesh ties have remained sensitive since former PM Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh and took shelter in India in August 2024. Dhaka has repeatedly sought her extradition, including requests in 2024 and 2026, but India has not complied with the demands.
What Bangladesh said about BRICS invitation
Jaiswal's clarification came after Bangladesh state minister for foreign affairs Humaiun Kobir said Rahman was not invited to the BRICS Summit in his capacity as PM. The invitation was extended only to the BIMSTEC chair, he said.
ALSO READ | ‘Bangladesh PM not invited to BRICS’: Tarique Rahman's govt minister rules out his India visit
“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,” Kobir was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.
India, which hosted the BRICS Summit, had invited Rahman to the summit's outreach session in his capacity as the current BIMSTEC chair. BIMSTEC comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Tarique Rahman yet to visit India
Rahman, who took office as Bangladesh's prime minister in February 2026, has not yet made an official bilateral visit to India.
Dhaka has said it wants to establish a new working relationship with India through direct bilateral engagement rather than beginning with a multilateral forum.
ALSO READ | Bangladesh wants to ‘reset’ ties with India, calls Hasina-era relationship ‘uncomfortable’
Kobir earlier said that Rahman's India visit would take place once both sides agree on a mutually acceptable schedule. A proposed three-day visit, expected from August 23, was postponed.
Rahman's next major engagement
Rahman's immediate focus is now expected to be the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He is scheduled to travel to New York on September 21.
At the UNGA, Rahman is expected to outline Bangladesh's outlook and priorities before world leaders. He is also scheduled to host a high-level side event focused on the prolonged Rohingya refugee crisis.
Bangladesh foreign minister Khalilur Rahman is presiding over the 81st session of the General Assembly, which is being held under the theme “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all,” as per Bangla News.
