India extends rare invitation to Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman for BRICS Summit
In a notable diplomatic gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman as a special guest to the 18th BRICS Summit, scheduled to be held on September 12-13 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Official sources confirmed that the invitation has already been conveyed to Dhaka.
Bangladesh is neither a member nor an observer of BRICS, making the invitation significant. India currently holds the BRICS chairmanship for 2026, with the summit themed “Building Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainable Development.”
According to Government sources, Tarique Rahman is likely to attend, which would mark his first visit to India since assuming office. This follows the February general elections in Bangladesh. Prime Minister Modi was among the first world leaders to invite the newly elected Bangladeshi leader. In April, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman visited India, during which a possible prime ministerial visit was discussed.
Relations between the two neighbours have remained lukewarm. Tarique Rahman had earlier chosen to visit China via Malaysia, signalling a departure from his predecessor Sheikh Hasina’s approach of prioritising India. Despite this, New Delhi has continued to extend cooperative gestures without expecting immediate reciprocity.
If the visit materialises, Prime Minister Modi is expected to hold bilateral talks aimed at resetting ties and addressing issues of mutual interest for the benefit of both nations. The summit will see participation from BRICS members — now expanded to 11 countries — including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Leaders from Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Indonesia are also expected. Iran’s representation remains unclear.
This invitation continues India’s tradition of engaging Bangladesh at high-level multilateral platforms. Earlier, India had invited former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the G20 Summit and
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus to the Voice of the Global South Summit.
Diplomatic observers view the move as an opportunity to open a new chapter in India-Bangladesh relations through sustained dialogue and cooperation.
