Why Tarique Rahman skipped BRICS Summit in India? Bangladeshi envoy reveals reason

Bangladesh High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman skipped the BRICS Summit in India because of "certain context and circumstances". He did not elaborate on those factors, while rejecting the suggestion that Dhaka's BIMSTEC chairmanship alone drove the decision.Bangladesh's High Commissioner to India Riaz Hamidullah speaking at the India Today BRICS Roundtable on Thursday.Bangladesh's Prime Minister Tarique Rahman did not attend the BRICS Summit in India despite Dhaka holding the BIMSTEC chair, with the neighbouring country's High Commissioner saying there was a “certain context and circumstances” behind the decision.At the India Today BRICS Roundtable, Riaz Hamidullah was asked whether Rahman had refused to attend the summit because Bangladesh was the BIMSTEC chair. Hamidullah pushed back on that characterisation.“It's been 6.5 months. We now have a democratically elected dispensation in Bangladesh. There's a certain context and circumstances which actually led to this decision for PM not being able to come and join. That's the simplest of answers,” Hamidullah said. The envoy, however, did not spell out the specific circumstances that prevented Rahman from attending the BRICS Summit set to be held on September 12 and 13.Hamidullah was also asked whether it had been difficult for diplomats to engage in conversations aimed at making Rahman's participation happen. “That's why diplomats are known as strange animals,” he quipped. - EndsPublished By: Prateek ChakrabortyPublished On: Sep 10, 2026 14:42 IST