Tarique Rahman Won’t Attend BRICS Summit in India, Bangladesh Says He Wasn’t Invited as PM

Bangladesh on Thursday ruled out Prime Minister Tarique Rahman travelling to India for the BRICS Summit this week, saying he was not invited to attend the event in his capacity as Bangladesh’s prime minister.

The statement comes despite India’s position that Rahman was invited to the summit’s outreach session as the current chair of BIMSTEC, the seven-member regional grouping of South and Southeast Asian nations.

India, which holds the BRICS chairmanship, is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. Leaders of BRICS member and partner countries, along with outreach invitees, are expected to attend the summit. Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir said Rahman was “not properly invited” to the event, PTI reported.

Kabir said the invitation was extended to Rahman because of his position as BIMSTEC chairman and not as Bangladesh’s prime minister. “Our prime minister was not invited. Who told you that our prime minister was invited?” Kabir said when asked whether Rahman would travel to New Delhi for the summit.

Bangladesh seeks separate bilateral visit

Dhaka said it was instead giving greater importance to arranging Rahman’s first visit to India as a bilateral engagement. “We are placing greater emphasis on bilateral visits and discussions,” Kabir said, adding that the visit would take place when the circumstances were favourable and mutual respect was maintained.

“There is no need to rush,” he said, according to PTI.

India has had a separate invitation open to Rahman since February for a bilateral visit. Kabir indicated that Bangladesh was working towards scheduling the trip at a suitable time.

Ganges treaty among key issues

Kabir also said Dhaka would approach matters involving Bangladesh’s national interests with seriousness and efficiency. His comments came as the 30-year India-Bangladesh Ganges Water Sharing Treaty approaches its expiry in December. Signed in 1996, the agreement governs the sharing of Ganges waters between the two countries during the dry season.

Trade talks continue

On India-Bangladesh trade, Kabir said discussions between the two sides were progressing positively, although there was no fresh development to announce.

India has continued diplomatic engagement with the new Bangladeshi government. On February 17, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla travelled to Bangladesh to attend the inauguration of Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party government after the February 12 general elections.

Birla also delivered a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulating Rahman and inviting him, his wife and their only daughter to visit India. For now, Dhaka appears to prefer a separate bilateral visit for Rahman rather than his participation in the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.