Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will not attend the upcoming 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir confirmed on Thursday.
Speaking to journalists at the Foreign Service Academy following an international conference on the Rohingya issue, Kobir stated that the decision resolves the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the prime minister’s proposed visit to India.
The 18th BRICS Summit is scheduled to be held in the Indian capital on 12 and 13 September, hosted by India.
Although Bangladesh is not a member of the BRICS, New Delhi extended an invitation to Tarique Rahman to participate in the summit’s outreach session in his capacity as the chairman of BIMSTEC, rather than as prime minister.
Kobir noted that Dhaka is dissatisfied with the process through which the invitation was extended, leading to the decision not to respond to the invitation. He added that Tarique would undertake a bilateral visit to India once a favourable environment is established.
The prime minister’s participation had been subject to discussion for several days, with Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stating on 4 September that New Delhi had received no fresh confirmation regarding his attendance.
Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman, also raised objections regarding the invitation process, stating that the issue must be taken “seriously.”
Speaking at a Secretariat press conference on government progress, Zahed addressed speculation regarding whether the government wants to bring back Sheikh Hasina to exert pressure on India.
Clarifying the government’s official stance, the adviser said, “We want to say one thing very clearly – when this has been made a condition attached to the Honourable Prime Minister’s visit to India, you have to take it seriously.”
