India confirms invite to Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman for BRICS event amid Sheikh Hasina row

India on Tuesday said it invited Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to attend the outreach session of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi in his capacity as the current chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).India confirms invite to Bangladesh PM for BRICS event amid Hasina row. (AP)External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the invitation to Rahman was in line with the established practice of inviting heads of regional organisations to BRICS outreach sessions."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," Jaiswal said in a press briefing.ALSO READ | India slams PoK polls as ‘complete farce’, says 90 killed since June by Pakistani forces in region"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 added.BIMSTEC is a regional grouping comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. This is aimed at promoting regional cooperation across multiple sectors in the Bay of Bengal region.The Sheikh Hasina rowThe invitation comes amid strained ties between New Delhi and Dhaka following the ouster of former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.Hasina has been sentenced to death in absentia by Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal on charges including crimes against humanity over the deadly crackdown on student-led protests in July-August 2024. Up to 1,400 people were killed, a United Nations fact-finding report said. Most deaths were caused by gunfire from security forces.ALSO READ | Sheikh Hasina may detail ‘homecoming’ plans, her visions for Bangladesh at presser in India on August 5Prosecutors have accused her of ordering the use of excessive force against protesters -- allegations she has denied and called politically motivated.Hasina has been hiding in India since fleeing Bangladesh after the protests forced her from office. The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus repeatedly sought her extradition. Tarique Rahman took over as Bangladesh's prime minister in February.MEA on Sheikh Hasina's press conferenceJaiswal also responded to Bangladesh's objection over reports that Hasina would address a press conference from India on Wednesday, August 5. Dhaka has said it conveyed to New Delhi that Hasina should not be allowed to use Indian territory to create instability in Bangladesh.The MEA said it was not involved in organising it. “The Government of India has no involvement in this. This is being organised by a private media body,” Jaiswal said at the press briefing on Tuesday.When is the BRICS summit?The 18th BRICS summit will be held in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. Leaders are expected to discuss key global issues, including the economic fallout of the ongoing crisis in West Asia.India is hosting the summit as the current chair of the grouping.ALSO READ | India’s BRICS summit: A multipolar turning pointWho will attend the BRICS summit in India?Several world leaders are expected to participate in the summit. These include Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.Originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, BRICS expanded in 2024 with the inclusion of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Indonesia joined the group in 2025.India has also invited leaders from several non-BRICS countries to participate in the summit's outreach session.The expanded bloc represents around 49.5% of the world's population, nearly 40 per cent of global GDP and about 26% of global trade, according to the MEA.