The United Nations, the President of the UN General Assembly, and Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman did not comment on whether Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will attend the BRICS Summit in India later this week, following an invitation from New Delhi for him to participate in an outreach session of the bloc.
India will host the annual BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, where leaders are expected to hold in-depth discussions on several urgent global issues, including the economic impact of the crisis in West Asia.
On Tuesday, Rahman took office as President of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, assuming leadership of the world body’s annual session.
India has extended an invitation to Tarique Rahman to participate in the summit’s outreach session in his role as the current chair of BIMSTEC.
The BIMSTEC is a regional grouping comprising India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan.
Bangladesh’s attendance at the summit will be under close scrutiny, given the current tensions with India after New Delhi granted political asylum to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled there following her removal in a youth-led uprising in August 2024.
Earlier on Tuesday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated in New Delhi that there was no update to provide regarding any confirmation from Dhaka about the Bangladeshi prime minister’s participation in the BRICS summit.
BRICS, which initially consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to admit Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, followed by Indonesia in 2025.
It has evolved into a significant bloc, uniting 11 major emerging economies that account for roughly 49.5 per cent of the world’s population, about 40 per cent of global GDP, and approximately 26 per cent of international trade.
