Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, scheduled to be held in New Delhi on 12–13 September, marking a significant diplomatic engagement between the two neighbouring countries.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam confirmed on Thursday that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had received the invitation from the Indian government and forwarded it to the Prime Minister's Office.
"An invitation letter has arrived at our Foreign Ministry. We have forwarded it to the Prime Minister's Office," she told reporters at the ministry in Dhaka.
Although Bangladesh is not a member of BRICS, India has invited Tarique Rahman to attend the summit as a special guest. It was not immediately clear whether he would accept the invitation, as the Prime Minister's Office has yet to announce a decision.
Responding to questions about Bangladesh-India relations, the state minister said Bangladesh remained committed to regional peace and stability.
"Bangladesh, as a democratic country with a democratically elected government, wants peace and stability across the region. This is our position, and we want peace and stability to be maintained in our region," she said.
She added that Bangladesh expected India, as one of the region's largest democracies, to address the concerns of its people through democratic means.
India is hosting this year's BRICS Summit under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", reflecting what New Delhi describes as a people-centric and humanity-first approach. As host, India is expected to invite several non-member countries alongside the bloc's 11 member states.
The BRICS grouping comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Its partner countries include Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
Originally established as an economic forum, BRICS has expanded its agenda to include political and security cooperation, global trade, finance, climate change, food and energy security, agriculture, labour, telecommunications, reform of the international financial system, and World Trade Organization-related issues.
The previous BRICS Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 6–7 July 2025 under the theme "Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance".
Shama Obaed Islam also said the Foreign Ministry had no specific information regarding reports of a phone conversation between President Mohammed Shahabuddin and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. She said the government would investigate the matter if any verified information became available.
Separately, she said the forthcoming visit of US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor was expected to open "a new chapter" in Bangladesh-US relations.
Gor, who also serves as the US Ambassador to India, was appointed by US President Donald Trump as Special Envoy for South and Central Asia. Before taking up the role, he served as Assistant to the President and Director of Presidential Personnel at the White House, overseeing the appointment of thousands of political officials across the federal government.
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