Bangladesh PM Tariq Rahman declines to attend BRICS summit
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tariq Rahman will not be able to attend the BRICS summit in Delhi.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will not be able to attend the BRICS summit to be held in Delhi. Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir has stated that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has not received an invitation to the summit. According to him, the invitation has been sent to the current chair of BIMSTEC.
According to the Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star, Kabir said,
How will we go? Has anyone from the Bangladesh government been invited? Our Prime Minister has not received an invitation. Who told you that the Prime Minister has been invited? The invitation has been given to the BIMSTEC chair.
However, according to news agency PTI, India, which is hosting the BRICS, has invited Tarique Rahman to participate in the outreach session of the summit as the current chair of BIMSTEC. BIMSTEC includes India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan.
Kabir also stated that,
The Bangladesh government is working to arrange the Prime Minister's bilateral visit to India at an appropriate time. Rahman was expected to visit India on a three-day official trip starting August 23, but this visit has been postponed. The reasons for the postponement and subsequent developments reflect the current state of India-Bangladesh relations.
Earlier on Tuesday, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated in New Delhi that there is currently no new information to share regarding Dhaka's confirmation of the Bangladeshi Prime Minister's participation in the BRICS summit.
The statement regarding the Prime Minister not being invited from Bangladesh comes at a time when tensions between India and Bangladesh are ongoing. This tension has escalated following New Delhi's decision to grant political asylum to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina came to India after being ousted from power in August 2024 during a youth-led movement.
BRICS summit will be held on September 12 and 13 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. This summit, hosted by India, will see the participation of several leaders, including the Presidents of Russia and Iran. This year's official theme for the summit is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. Initially, BRICS included Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. In 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates were added, while Indonesia became a member in 2025.
It is noteworthy that almost all preparations for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's visit to India in August had been made before the BRICS summit, but the program was abruptly canceled on August 21.
On August 21, 2026, in an unusual turn of events, the President's House withdrew its official press release regarding the proposed visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to New Delhi less than an hour after issuing it.
According to a report by Indian Express,
The press release issued by the President's House on August 21, 2026, stated that the 'Change of Guard' ceremony on Saturday would be canceled due to the full dress rehearsal for the formal welcome of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. However, shortly after, this release was withdrawn. This further complicated the situation regarding this high-profile visit.
This incident also highlights the ongoing diplomatic tension between New Delhi and Dhaka ahead of the BRICS summit scheduled for September 12-13. In recent days, tensions between the two countries have escalated, primarily due to Bangladesh's demand for the extradition of ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
On August 21, around 2 PM, the press release issued by the President's House stated that,
The 'Change of Guard' ceremony scheduled for Saturday, August 22, will not take place, as a full dress rehearsal is to be conducted prior to the formal welcome of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
Earlier, the release titled ‘There will be no Change of Guard ceremony this Saturday, August 22’ stated, “The Change of Guard ceremony in the President's House courtyard will not take place this Saturday (August 22, 2026), as a full dress rehearsal will be conducted for the formal welcome of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.” However, no official announcement regarding this high-profile visit had been made by either New Delhi or Dhaka by then. Subsequently, the President's House withdrew the release. Around 3 PM, a new statement issued by the President's office said,
The press release issued on August 21, 2026, regarding ‘There will be no Change of Guard ceremony this Saturday’ is hereby withdrawn.
Formal welcome ceremonies are held at the President's House for heads of state and other foreign dignitaries visiting India. This is an important military and diplomatic tradition of India. The ceremony includes a formal 'Guard of Honor' from the three armed forces, the national anthems of both countries, and formal introductions to the President and Prime Minister of India. A full dress rehearsal is conducted the day before this ceremony. Later, a dinner is also hosted by the President in honor of the guest leader.
On Tuesday, Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi attempted to ease the ongoing tensions between the two countries during a welcome ceremony organized for Bangladeshi business leaders and a delegation from India in Dhaka. During the event, he mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants Rahman's visit to be “memorable.” Trivedi stated, “Prime Minister Modi has just said one thing — we should meet.”
However, signals coming from diplomatic corridors in Dhaka remain cautious. On Thursday, in an interview with the government news agency BSS, Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Advisor Humayun Kabir stated that,
The likelihood of Rahman's visit to India for the summit remains “low” until an atmosphere of “mutual trust” is established and a “respectful invitation” is received from New Delhi.
Rahman's government is not pursuing an anti-India policy and desires stable and friendly relations with New Delhi. However, they do not want to send any message that compromises Bangladesh's national dignity and sovereignty.
According to experts on Bangladesh affairs,
The message of this government is not anti-India, as it was during the previous interim government led by Yunus. Nor has this government made any anti-India statements. Despite this, India's attitude remains the same as it was during the previous government.
The delay in the resumption of tourist visas for Bangladeshi citizens by India is also being mentioned. The Rahman government took oath in February this year,
but tourist visas remained suspended until the end of June. When they were resumed, long-term visas were still not issued as before. For Dhaka, this issue is now not just limited to the bilateral relations between the two governments, but also to the perception being formed among the public.
An expert said, “Among the general public, there is more perception than among the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) that India is only talking for show and is not serious about establishing relations with ‘Bangladesh 2.0’.”
Rahman would not want to appear against this sentiment of the public. His supporters call him “Janatar PM,” meaning “Prime Minister of the People.” In such a scenario, he cannot be seen giving concessions to India without any concrete steps in return from New Delhi.