India on Tuesday confirmed that an invitation has been extended to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to attend the BRICS Summit as the BIMSTEC Chair, while a separate bilateral invitation has been in place since February this year.
India will host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, focusing on global cooperation, trade and sustainable development.
"You would be aware that a formal invitation to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to visit India was extended when he assumed office in February 2026," said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a media briefing in New Delhi.
As far as the BRICS Summit is concerned, he said India has separately extended an invitation to the Bangladesh Prime Minister in his capacity as the current Chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) to attend the outreach session of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
"The invitation has been extended as per the standard practice being followed in BRICS for the outreach sessions. Other heads of regional groups have also been invited in a similar manner," the MEA spokesperson said.
BIMSTEC comprises seven countries in the Bay of Bengal region - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
In April last year, Bangladesh assumed the chairmanship of the regional grouping for the next two years, reaffirming its commitment to advancing regional cooperation and development, a senior official told UNB.
"We are reviewing it now. We will take a decision and inform you immediately," Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur told reporters on July 29 when asked about Bangladesh's response to the invitation.
India's BRICS chairship is guided by the theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," reflecting the people-centric and humanity-first approach articulated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2025 Rio Summit.
The 17th BRICS Summit was held on July 6-7, 2025, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, under the theme, "Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance."
The BRICS member countries are Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE. Its partner countries are Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
Doesn’t Endorse Any Views
Asked about former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's planned media engagement in New Delhi on August 5, the MEA spokesperson said India is not involved in the process.
"The interaction that you are referring to is being organised by a private media entity. The government has no involvement whatsoever in it, nor does it endorse any views that may be expressed at the forum," Jaiswal said when a journalist sought his comments.
Ahead of Hasina's reported August 5 programme, Bangladesh on Monday conveyed to India that Dhaka expects New Delhi's cooperation in ensuring that no person, including fugitive Hasina, can use Indian territory to make political statements or conduct activities aimed at creating instability in Bangladesh.
Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir conveyed the message when newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met him at the Prime Minister's Office in Tejgaon, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Adviser Kobir said such activities could undermine the positive progress in bilateral relations between the two countries.
Indian media reported that Hasina is set to make her first public appearance in India exactly two years after she fled the country following a massive student-led protest.
According to multiple media reports, Hasina will attend a virtual event hosted by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia (FCC South Asia) in New Delhi.