Bangladesh will not be represented at the BRICS summit in any official capacity, said Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Humaiun Kobir on Thursday (September 10, 2026). Speaking to reporters in Dhaka, Mr. Kobir said that India had invited Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in his capacity as the head of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) and not as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

Mr. Kobir’s explanation came as speculation continued on whether Bangladesh would send any representative to the BRICS summit for which India had extended an early invite to Bangladesh Prime Minister Rahman in August 2026.

“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?” remarked Mr. Kobir in response to questions from the media. India is the host of the 2026 BRICS summit and received global leaders like President Vladimir Putin of Russia, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia and several others.

Speaking to the media at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, Mr. Kobir said that the first visit of Mr. Rahman to India can not be a multilateral one and that a bilateral visit will be planned at a “conducive” time.

Prime Minister Rahman was invited to visit India bilaterally immediately after he took office on February 17, 2026. In August, India invited the Country Chairs of Regional Organisations like BIMSTEC, ASEAN, the African Union, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

On Thursday (September 10, 2026), the Ministry of External Affairs announced that the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand R. Marcos; the President of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye; and the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, will participate in the BRICS summit representing ASEAN, the African Union and the Eurasian Economic Union. CELAC and GCC will be represented by Mario Lubetkin, Foreign Minister of Uruguay and Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Foreign Minister of Bahrain. The announcement did not feature any name for Bangladesh.

Bangladesh had earlier said that Delhi and Dhaka were in consultation for a possible visit by Mr. Rahman to India. However, the talks broke down after deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a virtual press conference at the Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) where she attacked the current government in Dhaka for the breakdown in law and order. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka had expressed “outrage” over the issue.

Calling challenges an inherent part of democracy, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi said differences between the two neighbours can only be resolved through dialogue and expressed hope that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to India “should take place much sooner”.

The envoy’s remarks on Sunday (August 16, 2026) came as uncertainty looms over Mr. Rahman’s proposed visit to India for the BRICS summit on September 12-13 amid fresh strains in bilateral ties over Dhaka’s demand for the extradition of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Speaking at a welcome dinner hosted by Masud Jamil Khan, Consul of Ireland in Bangladesh, and his wife Kate Jaro Khan in Dhaka, Mr. Trivedi said Bangladesh and India are two sovereign countries and don’t merely share a border but also “share a dream”, the UNB news agency reported.

“We have our challenges. There is no doubt about it. And if you do not have challenges, that is not democracy,” Mr. Trivedi said, while stressing the importance of dialogues in addressing bilateral issues.

“Issues can only be sorted out by meeting, and I am very hopeful,” he said. The envoy expressed optimism that Prime Minister Rahman’s India visit will take place “much sooner”.

Mr. Trivedi’s remarks came hours after Bangladesh Foreign Ministry spokesperson A. K. M. Shahidul Karim said officials of the two countries had been in touch for several weeks over Mr. Rahman’s proposed India visit, but a “propitious environment” needed to be created for the trip.

Describing both Rahman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “people’s persons”, he asserted that when the two leaders meet and interact, no issue could be left unaddressed.

At the same time, Mr. Trivedi also acknowledged that the two sovereign countries would have differences and need space to pursue their respective interests.

“We need our space. We have our differences. We have our arguments. That’s okay. My very objective is to have a golden period between India and Bangladesh,” he said.

Mr. Trivedi said the common goal should be ensuring dignity and mutual respect for people, not only in the two countries but across the world.

“And that’s what we strive for,” he said.

Bangladesh objects to Hasina’s virtual event

The issue of Mr. Rahman’s proposed India visit has assumed significance amid the recent deterioration in ties following Hasina’s virtual media interaction from New Delhi on August 5.

Bangladesh expressed outrage over the media interaction, saying the event had hurt the sentiments of its people and could adversely affect efforts to improve bilateral ties with India.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) maintained that it had no role in the media event concerning Hasina and it does not endorse anything said at the forum about the Bangladesh government.

Hasina was ousted in August 2024 following violent student-led protests, and fled to India. In November 2025, she was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal in Bangladesh over alleged “crimes against humanity” during the crackdown on protesters.

Dhaka has since been seeking Hasina’s extradition from India, while New Delhi maintains that the extradition request is under examination in accordance with applicable law and established legal procedures.

The Government has no “involvement” in the press conference to be addressed by Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) on Wednesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday (August 4, 2026).

Speaking at the Ministry’s biweekly press briefing, MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the event is being organised by a “private media entity”.

India’s response came a day after Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kobir met Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi at the Prime Minister’s Office in Dhaka and cautioned that continued political activities by Ms. Hasina on Indian territory could “harm” bilateral ties.

“The interaction you refer to is being organised by a private media entity. The government has no involvement whatsoever in it. Neither does it endorse any views that may be expressed at the forum,” said Mr. Jaiswal in response to a question.

“Exclusive interactive session”

On Sunday (August 2, 2026), FCC president Dr. Waiel Awwad said Ms. Hasina would announce her plans to return to Bangladesh during the “exclusive interactive session” and answer a few questions from the media. Ms. Hasina has been based in India since fleeing Dhaka following a violent student-led uprising that toppled her government on August 5, 2024.

Following his meeting with Mr. Trivedi on Monday (August 3, 2026), Mr. Kobir said that “such activities” could “harm positive progress of bilateral relations between the two countries”.

India had earlier invited Mr. Rahman to participate in the upcoming BRICS summit. However, Bangladesh has not yet confirmed Mr. Rahman’s participation in the event, with diplomatic sources indicating that Dhaka has not appreciated the fact that the BRICS invitation was extended to Mr. Rahman in his capacity as the current Chair of BIMSTEC and not as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

Mr. Jaiswal, however, clarified that Mr. Rahman already has an invitation for a bilateral visit to India in his capacity as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. The invitation was extended soon after he was sworn in on February 17.

“As far as the BRICS summit is concerned, India has separately extended an invitation to the Bangladesh PM in his capacity as the current Chair of BIMSTEC to attend the outreach session of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. The invitation has been extended as per the standard practice being followed in BRICS for the outreach sessions,” said Mr. Jaiswal.

Diplomatic sources in Dhaka, however, said the controversy concerning Ms. Hasina’s press conference has ‘snowballed’ into a tense situation. A high-level diplomatic source in Dhaka said the announcement of Ms. Hasina’s press event had come even as Bangladesh was processing the invitation to the BRICS summit. “There will definitely be an impact,” said the source.

In a notification issued on Tuesday, the Press Information Department of the Government of Bangladesh urged media organisations in the country not to provide a platform for Ms. Hasina’s remarks. The notification referred to the death sentence pronounced against Ms. Hasina last year by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), a special court in Dhaka. It said the Bangladesh Government had observed that “unfortunately”, some news organisations were giving space to reports concerning Ms. Hasina and her party, the Awami League.

The party was formally banned by the Tarique Rahman government through an amendment to an anti-terrorism act in April 2026. Earlier, the interim government led by Mohammed Yunus had banned political activities of the Awami League and its student wing, the Chhatra League, during its August 2024-February 2026 tenure.

India on Tuesday (August 4, 2026) said it has extended an invitation to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to attend the outreach session of the upcoming BRICS summit in his capacity as the current chair of the BIMSTEC grouping.

India is hosting the annual BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, which is expected to deliberate extensively on a number of pressing global challenges, including the economic consequences of the West Asia crisis.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that an invitation was extended to Rahman to undertake a bilateral visit to India after he assumed the charge of the top office in February.

“As far as the BRICS summit is concerned, India has separately extended an invitation to the Bangladesh prime minister in his capacity as the current chair of BIMSTEC to attend the outreach session of the 18th BRICS Summit,” Mr. Jaiswal said at a regular media briefing.

“The invitation has been extended as per the standard practice being followed in BRICS for the outreach sessions. Other heads of regional groups have also been invited in a similar manner,” he said in response to a question.

New Delhi is hosting the BRICS summit in its capacity as its current chair.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin are among the top leaders expected to attend the summit.

BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, with Indonesia joining in 2025.

The BRICS has emerged as an influential grouping as it brings together 11 major emerging economies of the world, representing around 49.5 per cent of the global population, around 40 per cent of the global GDP and around 26 per cent of the global trade.

India has invited leaders of a number of non-BRICS countries to attend the outreach session of the summit.

BIMSTEC, or the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation is a regional grouping comprising India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan.

India’s new High Commissioner to Dhaka Dinesh Trivedi on Thursday (June 25, 2026) announced the resumption of travel visas for Bangladesh nationals as he assumed office, a day after New Delhi conferred him the status of a Union Minister.

Earlier, the 76-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party leader presented his credentials to President Mohammed Shahabuddin, marking the start of his diplomatic assignment.

He was named as the envoy to Bangladesh on April 27, becoming the first politician to serve in this position.

“The new Indian High Commissioner has presented his credentials to the Honourable President, beginning his diplomatic assignment in Dhaka,” a presidential palace spokesman said.

The spokesman said a contingent of the President Guard Regiment offered him a guard of honour before Mr. Trivedi presented his diplomatic papers.

Shortly after the ceremony, Mr. Trivedi made his first public appearance at the Indian Visa Centre in the capital, where he announced the resumption of travel visas for Bangladeshi nationals.

Halted two years ago

The travel visas were halted nearly two years ago amid an escalated security situation and deteriorating ties with New Delhi during the Muhammad Yunus-led interim regime.

“I am very happy to be able to announce the launch of general travel visas again. Visa applications can be submitted starting June 28,” he said.

Trivedi said visas would be issued from all five centres — Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chattogram, Sylhet, and Khulna — and the process would be expanded further in the future.

The envoy said urgent medical visas would continue to be provided for humanitarian reasons.

Travel visas for Bangladeshi nationals typically permit access to India for tourism, medical treatments, government and business assignments and transiting to third countries.

India on Wednesday granted Mr. Trivedi the status of a Union Minister for ceremonial functions via an official memorandum issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Mr. Trivedi succeeded career diplomat Pranay Kumar Verma.

He arrived in Bangladesh through its western Benapole-Petrapole land border on June 12.

Mr. Verma’s four-year tenure, which ended last month, witnessed the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government in a student-led uprising in August 2024 and a subsequent downturn in India-Bangladesh relations under the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus.

Elections were held in the country earlier this year, but Hasina’s Awami League was barred from contesting. On February 17, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman took the oath as Prime Minister.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s foreign visit plans will not impact bilateral ties with India as Dhaka-New Delhi relation has its own dynamics and requirements that are important on their own, said an official source here on Wednesday (June 17, 2026). The remarks from the official came against the backdrop of reports that Mr. Rahman who came to power on February 17 will undertake his first round of foreign visits next week that will take him to Malaysia and China. Sources in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have told The Hindu that Prime Minister Rahman is considering visiting India in July, after returning from the first round of foreign tours.

“Bangladesh’s relation with India cannot be replaced by any other country. We share nearly 4,000 km of border and no one can replace the work that India does for Bangladesh,” said a source emphasising that Delhi’s relation with Dhaka is independent of any foreign visits by the leadership of Bangladesh. He further said that the two sides need to maintain positive momentum in relationship that will help in re-tracking the relationship that has remained in turmoil since the overthrow of the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. Last weekend, the High Commissioner-designate of India Dinesh Trivedi reached Bangladesh through the land border in West Bengal and called for resolving differences between the two sides through dialogue.

Jamaat-e-Islami, the main opposition party in the Bangladesh parliament, however, launched a series of rallies in Dhaka and Chittagong protesting against the remarks of Mr. Trivedi, arguing that the envoy had talked about uniting Bangladesh with India. Talking to The Hindu, the official source on Wednesday (June 17, 2026) blamed social media for the controversy and said, “He had referred to bringing the people of the two countries closer through dialogue.” Prime Minister Rahman is expected to return from China on June 25 or 26 by when High Commissioner Trivedi is expected to settle in his new role in Dhaka, and that is expected to help in formalising high-level talks between the two sides.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sent an invitation letter to Prime Minister Rahman through Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri who, along with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, had participated in Mr. Rahman’s swearing-in ceremony in Dhaka on February 17. Mr. Rahman, however, has not been able to visit Delhi so far, though his Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and Special Adviser on Foreign Affairs Humayun Kobir visited Delhi in the second week of April ahead of the Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius, where Mr. Rahman had participated in the discussion alongside External Affairs Minister Jaishankar. Sources in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party had told The Hindu earlier that Prime Minister Rahman’s plans to visit India would come up soon after he returned from Malaysia and China. “A visit to India is definitely on the cards. It can happen soon after the China visit,” a source in BNP had said.

After Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman returned from Delhi airport following what Dhaka described as “humiliating treatment”, official sources here said that Mr. Rahman was “held” on Sunday evening for “verification” because he has a history of combative comments on India-related issues.

Sources in Dhaka said that Mr. Rahman, who holds the rank of a State Minister in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government, was held for more than two hours before he was cleared to enter Delhi, though by that time he had made up his mind to return home.

Zahed Ur Rahman was scheduled to participate in the 28^th meeting of the IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association) Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) for which he had travelled in an Air India flight from Dhaka to Delhi on Sunday (June 14, 2026). A source privy to events at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi said that Mr. Rahman, who is known for being a critic of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was stopped at the immigration counter. Immigration staff did not clarify the reasons for the delay.

Held at immigration

“At first immigration officials stopped him without providing any explanation and when he asked for a reason, they said everything was ok and that they were checking some details. The questioning by the immigration officials as well as the way they treated Mr. Rahman appeared short of courtesy. He was made to sit on a sofa with other passengers despite the fact that he deserved protocol as he has the rank of a state minister,” said the source in Dhaka. “After more than two hours of waiting, Zahed Ur Rahman was informed that he had been cleared. However, Mr. Rahman decided to return to Dhaka as he was disappointed,” said the source further.

The Hindu was told that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman spoke to Zahed Ur Rahman soon after the latter landed in Dhaka. He spent more than twelve hours in transit in Colombo as he could not be accommodated on a direct Delhi-Dhaka flight. The matter was further amplified after Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman on Monday described the matter as “regrettable”. Dhaka subsequently summoned DCM Pavan Badhe.

Officials here, however, pointed out that the immigration authorities here were aware of his youtube programmes and criticism that he had levelled over the years on India’s handling of Bangladesh. “He arrived in Delhi leading a Bangladesh delegation for the 28^th Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Indian Ocean Rim Association, and was held by immigration for ‘verification’, given his previous statements on India.”

To support the “verification” process, officials here said that the authorities looked into nearly ten pages of remarks that he had made on youtube about India and said, “(Despite his past criticism of India) Zahed Ur Rahman was given a one-time exemption to enter, by which time he had decided to return by the night flight.”

Zahid Ur Rahman is part of an influential group of individuals who were inducted into the team of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on the first day of his government on February 17 along with Humayun Kabir, Shamsul Islam, Mahadi Amin, and Rehan Asif Asad. All five hold rank of state ministers. Apart from the younger five advisers Prime Minister Rahman also appointed five veterans — Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, Mohammed Ismail Zabihullah, and Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir — as advisers with full ministerial rank. These ten advisers were appointed as “the prime minister’s advisory team” which is expected to advise him on various issues like foreign affairs, security, broadcast and information, health, and economic matters.

Democracies are bound to have issues and disputes, and such differences should be resolved through interactions and dialogue, India’s High Commissioner-designate to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, said on Friday (June 12, 2026). Speaking to reporters while crossing from West Bengal’s Petrapole to Bangladesh’s Benapole, Mr. Trivedi called for cooperation in sectors such as health, technology and education, and advocated turning the two countries into a powerful economic bloc.

“We will proceed together by combining the hundred forty crore people of India and the twenty crore people of Bangladesh. Bangladesh and India are both strong democracies and in democracies there are bound to be issues but there has to be interactions to deal with them which is necessary. I will carry out my responsibilities in that context,” Mr. Trivedi said while speaking to the media in Benapole.

“We cannot become powerful in isolation from each other. Technology, education, health and sports are areas where we can work together and beat the world,” Mr. Trivedi said, urging the media in Bangladesh to project the combined strength of the populations of India and Bangladesh.

The relationship between the two countries has remained strained since the uprising of August 2024 that overthrew the government of Sheikh Hasina, who remains in India. Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who took charge on February 17, is expected to begin his foreign visits this month, first travelling to Malaysia and then to China.

Mr. Trivedi, who has been active in public life since the late 1980s, is a former Union Minister for Railways and Health and Family Welfare and a three-term member of the Rajya Sabha. Mr. Trivedi, currently a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal, was appointed India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh on April 27 through an announcement by the Ministry of External Affairs.

His predecessor in Dhaka, Pranay Kumar Verma, has been appointed Ambassador of India to Belgium and the European Union. Mr. Trivedi was received at Benapole by Deputy Chief of Mission and current Chargé d’Affaires at the Indian High Commission, Pavan Badhe. Mr. Trivedi is expected to present his credentials to Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin shortly.

Bangladesh said on Thursday (June 4, 2026) it had foiled several attempts by India to force people into the country over the ​previous 24 hours, reviving a dispute over alleged undocumented migration and clouding ‌efforts to improve ties between the South Asian neighbours.

Their border ​is one of the longest land frontiers in ⁠the world, stretching for more than 4,000 km (2,500 miles) across all sorts of terrain, making it difficult to police.

Border Guard Bangladesh said it had detected ‌10 attempted infringements by Indian authorities along several sections of the border.

India’s Border Security Force and Ministry of External Affairs ‌did not respond to requests for comment.

India’s ruling Bharatiya ‌Janata ⁠Party, which governs the border states of Tripura, West Bengal ⁠and Assam, has said it would tackle undocumented migration as a priority and since last year it has been trying to push Bengali-speaking Muslims branded “illegal infiltrators” into ​Bangladesh. The issue has complicated ‌efforts by both countries to mend ties following the 2024 ousting of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s long-time India-aligned leader.

“No individual or group will be allowed to enter Bangladesh illegally through the border,” BGB said ‌in a statement, adding that any attempt to violate international ​border management norms and bilateral understandings would be “strictly resisted”.

Bangladesh’s border guards last month intensified patrols and launched public awareness campaigns ⁠along parts of the frontier due to concerns India had illegally forced people into Bangladesh in what officials, rights groups and analysts describe as “push-ins” — ‌informal transfers of people into Bangladesh without going through verification and repatriation procedures.

India’s Foreign Ministry in May told reporters it had asked Bangladesh to verify the nationality of more than 2,860 suspected Bangladeshis living illegally in India.

In one incident in the last day in the southwestern border district of Jhenaidah, the BGB alleged that Indian ‌Border Security Force personnel tried to move 30 to 35 people towards Bangladeshi territory in ​a prison van after opening a border gate. The BGB said it forced the vehicle to retreat.

Dhaka has ⁠repeatedly said anyone identified as a Bangladeshi national should be returned through ⁠formal legal and diplomatic channels rather than being driven across the border.

The issue is expected to be taken up ‌at director-general-level talks between the two sides’ border forces in New Delhi from June 8 to 11, government officials in Dhaka said.

Former Union Minister Dinesh Trivedi was on Monday (April 27, 2026) appointed as India’s next High Commissioner to Bangladesh.

New Delhi’s decision to send a veteran politician to Dhaka comes at a time both sides are looking at repairing the bilateral ties that came under severe strain during the tenure of Bangladesh’s interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus.