
The Bangladesh government is currently evaluating an invitation extended to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi as a special guest, Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman said on Thursday.
Addressing reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following a courtesy call by newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi, the Foreign Minister stated that a final determination would be communicated once a decision is finalized.
The press briefing was also attended by the Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs, Humayun Kobir.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the invitation to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for the summit, which is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on September 12-13.
Elaborating on the diplomatic schedule, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman noted that the Prime Minister has received multiple international invitations, emphasizing that his scheduled attendance at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session in New York must be factored into his overall engagement calendar.
"There are several invitations. At the same time, the Prime Minister will attend the General Assembly in New York. So, we have to consider all these engagements together," he explained.
Recalling his recent interaction with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar in Manila, the Foreign Minister added that both nations expressed optimism about working jointly to deepen and strengthen bilateral ties moving forward.
Meanwhile, Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi affirmed New Delhi's keen interest in hosting the Bangladesh head of government, expressing hope that the state visit would occur shortly.
"I think it is the Prime Minister's prerogative. But from our side, I can say that we are eagerly looking forward to welcoming the head of the Bangladesh government to India. We hope the visit will take place very soon," the envoy remarked to reporters following separate discussions with Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam at the Ministry.
Regarding the exact schedule of the visit, Trivedi clarified that the timeline remains dependent on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's priorities.
The invitation to the high-level BRICS gathering coincides with renewed diplomatic interactions between Dhaka and New Delhi, as both neighbors seek to advance bilateral ties based on mutual benefit.




