Bangladesh Has No Scope to Join BRICS Summit: Kabir

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir on Thursday ruled out the possibility of Bangladesh sending a government representative to the BRICS Summit, saying Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was not invited to the event.

He said the invitation was extended to the chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), a position currently held by Bangladesh.

“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?” he told reporters.

Responding to a question at the Foreign Service Academy, Kabir also said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s first visit to India could not be a multilateral visit.

“The government is working to arrange a bilateral visit to India when the timing is conducive,” he said.

Bangladesh assumed the BIMSTEC chairmanship in April 2025 for a two-year term, reaffirming its commitment to advancing regional cooperation and development.

BIMSTEC comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

India has confirmed that an invitation was extended to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to attend the BRICS Summit in his capacity as BIMSTEC chair. A separate bilateral invitation has also been in place since February this year.

BRICS member states and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres are scheduled to attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13.

The UN in India confirmed Guterres’ participation in a post on its verified Facebook page on Wednesday.

As BRICS chair for 2026, India will host the summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

The summit will bring together leaders of BRICS member and partner countries, along with outreach invitees.

India’s BRICS chairship is guided by the theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of “Humanity First.”

Leaders are expected to discuss ways to strengthen intra-BRICS cooperation on common priorities and exchange views on global and regional issues of mutual importance.

During India’s chairship, more than 350 meetings and high-level engagements have been held in over 25 cities across the country to strengthen the BRICS strategic partnership across three key pillars: political and security cooperation, economic and financial cooperation, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

India said these engagements, along with business-to-business and people-to-people initiatives, have helped advance BRICS cooperation through practical and development-oriented outcomes.

India is a founding member of BRICS and has previously chaired the grouping three times, in 2012, 2016 and 2021. It assumed its fourth BRICS chairship on January 1, 2026.

The year 2026 also marks 20 years since the establishment of BRICS.