DHAKA: Bangladesh Thursday turned down an invitation to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to attend the Brics Summit's outreach session, saying there is no scope to send a govt representative to the summit as PM was not invited and the invitation was instead extended to Bimstec Chair.
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The development comes amid strained New Delhi-Dhaka ties over former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina's presence in India, extradition requests, unresolved issues, including water sharing treaties, and Dhaka's growing closeness to China and Pakistan.
"How shall we go? Has anyone from Bangladesh govt been invited? Our PM was not invited. Who told you that our PM was invited? Bimstec Chair was invited. Then why are you asking this question?" state minister for foreign affairs Humaiun Kobir told reporters to a question, ruling out the possibility of PM Tarique attending summit - which will bring together leaders of member and partner countries, as well as outreach invitees - in New Delhi from Sept 12-13.
On Brics Summit - a grouping in which Bangladesh is neither a member nor a partner nation - ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a recent media briefing in New Delhi had said India had extended an invitation to PM in his capacity as the current Chair of Bimstec to attend the outreach session of the 18th Brics Summit. Jaiswal had also said a separate bilateral invitation has been in place since Feb.
Kobir said PM's first visit to India cannot be a multilateral visit and govt is working on arranging a bilateral visit to India when the timing is conducive, and stressed Bangladesh is placing greater emphasis on a bilateral visit by PM.
India sent Lok Sabha Speaker Om Prakash Birla on Feb 17 to join the inauguration of Tarique's BNP govt following Feb 12 general elections. Birla carried a letter from PM Narendra Modi greeting his counterpart and inviting him to India along with his wife and daughter.
