India confirms BRICS Summit invitation to Tarique as BIMSTEC chair

India on Tuesday confirmed that it has invited Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to attend the outreach session of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi in his capacity as the current chair of BIMSTEC, while reiterating that a separate bilateral invitation to visit India has remained in place since February this year.

India will host the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12-13 in New Delhi under the theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," with discussions expected to focus 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," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a media briefing in New Delhi.

On the BRICS Summit, Jaiswal said India had separately invited the Bangladesh prime minister to attend the outreach session as the current chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

"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," he said.

Bangladesh assumed the BIMSTEC chairmanship in April last year for a two-year term. The regional grouping comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The Bangladesh government has not yet confirmed whether the prime minister will attend the summit.

"We are reviewing it now. We will take a decision and inform you immediately," Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman told reporters on July 29 when asked about the invitation.

The 17th BRICS Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 6-7, 2025. BRICS currently comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, while Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam are partner countries.

India distances itself from Hasina's planned media event

Responding to a question on former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's reported media engagement in New Delhi on August 5, the MEA spokesperson said the Indian government had no role in organising the event.

"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.

His remarks came a day after Bangladesh conveyed to India that Dhaka expects New Delhi's cooperation in ensuring that no individual, including fugitive former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, can use Indian territory to make political statements or conduct activities aimed at destabilising 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.

Kobir said such activities could undermine the positive momentum in bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries.

Indian media have reported that Hasina is scheduled to make a virtual appearance at an event organised by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia (FCC South Asia) in New Delhi on August 5, two years after she fled Bangladesh following a student-led mass uprising.