DHAKA/NEW DELHI: As part of Delhi’s broader approach to enhancing global collaboration and cooperation, India has invited PM Tarique Rahman to attend the 18th Brics Summit, which will focus on global cooperation, trade, and sustainable development. India will host the summit in New Delhi on September 12-13.Bangladesh state minister for foreign affairs Shama Obaed Islam said Thursday that the ministry had received the invitation from the Indian side and forwarded it to the Prime Minister’s Office, without elaborating further.PM Narendra Modi had invited Tarique in Feb too, after he took office. Tarique has so far not appeared inclined to take the political risk of visiting India while former PM Sheikh Hasina remains on Indian soil, amid concerns about a domestic backlash. However, Bangladesh also aspires to become a Brics member and has already received support from China and Russia.Both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to attend the summit.Tarique recently visited Malaysia and China, and also plans to travel to Japan and the US for the UN General Assembly later this year. An official confirmation of India’s invitation is still awaited. India had also invited Bangladesh in 2016, the last time it hosted the Brics summit in person, as a Bimstec member for a Brics outreach session.External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Thursday met Bangladesh foreign minister Khalilur Rahman on the sidelines of the Asean Regional Forum Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila. An official in Dhaka said the two ministers exchanged greetings.Responding to a question on regional instability, Shama Obaed said Bangladesh, as a democratic state with a democratically elected govt, wanted peace and stability in the region. She added that Bangladesh expected India, as a large democratic country, to address its internal issues and move towards a solution.India’s Brics chairship is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, reflecting a people-centric approach articulated by Modi at the 2025 Rio Summit. Brics comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE as members.The 17th Brics Summit was held on July 6-7, 2025, in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
