Bangladesh PM's BRICS Summit Attendance Uncertain

India has extended an invitation to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to attend an outreach session of the upcoming BRICS summit, but his participation remains unconfirmed. The summit is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, who also serves as the President of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, offered no definitive statement regarding the Prime Minister's attendance. Speaking at a press briefing, he stated he was not present in a national capacity and would address bilateral issues separately. This comes as India's Ministry of External Affairs also reported no update on confirmation from Dhaka regarding Prime Minister Rahman's participation. Adding to the uncertainty, a Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs indicated that a visit to India before the UN General Assembly was very unlikely. The invitation to Prime Minister Rahman was extended in his capacity as the current chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).