India Invites PM Tarique Rahman for Two Separate Visits

India has invited Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to visit the country for a bilateral engagement, as well as to attend the outreach session of the BRICS Summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi in September.

Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal disclosed the information during the ministry's weekly briefing in New Delhi on Tuesday (11 August).

Asked about the invitation for Tarique Rahman's visit to India, Jaiswal said the Indian high commissioner met the Bangladeshi prime minister on Tuesday and discussed issues of mutual bilateral interest.

He said India had invited the prime minister for a bilateral visit and separately to attend the BRICS Summit's outreach session in New Delhi. He added that further details would be shared later.

The 18th BRICS Summit is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on 12 and 13 September, under India's chairmanship. Under BRICS arrangements, leaders of various regional groupings are invited to participate in the summit's outreach session.

Bangladesh is currently the chair of BIMSTEC, and India has invited Bangladesh's prime minister to attend the BRICS outreach session in that capacity.

The invitation was formally conveyed through a diplomatic note sent by the Indian High Commission in Dhaka to Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 14 July.

'No information' on RAW chief's Bangladesh visit

During the briefing, Jaiswal was also asked about the two-day visit to Bangladesh by Parag Jain, chief of India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

A journalist asked about Jain's reported meeting with Brigadier General (retd) AKM Shamsul Islam, the prime minister's defence adviser, and sought clarification on the purpose of the visit.

Jaiswal declined to comment, saying he had "no information" about the matter and suggested that the relevant ministry might be able to provide details.

Bangladesh yet to decide on BRICS invitation

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said on Monday that Dhaka had not yet decided whether the prime minister would attend the BRICS Summit.

He made the remarks after meeting Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi on Tuesday.

The foreign minister said the invitation was extended to the chair of BIMSTEC, rather than specifically to the prime minister, while noting that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had previously sent a letter inviting Bangladesh's prime minister to India.