Bangladesh will not be officially represented at the 2026 BRICS summit after Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was not invited in his capacity as head of government. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir stated that Rahman had only received an invitation as the chair of BIMSTEC, a regional organization, leading Dhaka to rule out official attendance.
The announcement follows days of speculation regarding Bangladesh's participation in the high-profile summit, hosted by India. Kobir clarified that the confusion arose from India's August invitation to country chairs of various regional organizations, including ASEAN, the African Union, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, among others.
During a press briefing in Dhaka, Kobir emphasized, "How shall we go? Has anyone from the Bangladesh government been invited? Our Prime Minister was not invited. Who told you that our Prime Minister was invited? The BIMSTEC Chair was invited. Then why are you asking this question?"
This development comes as Bangladesh is reportedly scrutinizing over 100 bilateral agreements signed with India. BNP chief whip Nurul Islam Moni described the lack of an invitation for Prime Minister Rahman as disappointing, underscoring rising tensions between the two nations.
Earlier discussions for a bilateral visit by Prime Minister Rahman to India had reportedly broken down. This breakdown occurred after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, during a virtual press conference, criticized the current Dhaka government over law and order issues, an episode that Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs publicly condemned as "outrageous."
With official participation in the BRICS summit now off the table, attention shifts to whether a separate bilateral visit by Prime Minister Rahman to India can be arranged at a more "conducive" time, as previously suggested by Kobir.