Diplomacy moves fast in South Asia, but old baggage takes much longer to unpack. India recently extended an official invitation to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to attend the 18th BRICS Summit outreach session in New Delhi. Scheduled for September 12 and 13, this move is much more than a routine diplomatic courtesy. It is a calculated olive branch.
Bangladesh isn't a BRICS member. Rahman received this special invitation specifically because Bangladesh currently chairs the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). Yet, looking only at the acronyms misses the real story. Bilateral ties between New Delhi and Dhaka hit historic lows after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. Since Tarique Rahman assumed office in February 2026 following a landslide election victory, both capitals have walked a tightrope.
The Regional Chessboard
When a new leader bypasses a traditional first visit to a powerful immediate neighbor, people notice. Rahman broke convention by choosing Malaysia and China for his initial international trips. New Delhi registered that shift quietly. By inviting him to the BRICS outreach as the head of BIMSTEC, India is reviving a playbook it last used a decade ago in Goa.
The strategy is simple. Push multilateral regional connectivity while giving Dhaka a graceful platform to engage. Other global figures like the leaders of Bahrain, Burundi, the Philippines, and Uruguay have also received outreach invites in their respective institutional capacities. But the stakes with Bangladesh feel entirely different.
Dhaka has played its cards close to the chest. Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman confirmed that the administration is currently "reviewing" the invitation. Officials point out that the prime minister already faces a packed calendar, including upcoming engagements at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Navigating the Political Minefield
You cannot talk about modern India-Bangladesh relations without addressing the elephant in the room. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resided in India since fleeing Dhaka during the 2024 uprising. Her continued presence remains a sensitive friction point. Dhaka's interim leadership previously demanded her extradition, and the issue continues to hover over current diplomatic channels.
Adding fuel to the fire, political tensions spiked around planned media appearances by members of Hasina's party from Indian soil. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs quickly distanced itself from those events, stating they were organized by private bodies. New Delhi wants to signal that it supports stable state-to-state relations rather than fueling domestic unrest in neighboring states.
Even so, public opinion in Bangladesh remains volatile. The upcoming expiration of the Ganges Water Treaty adds another urgent policy hurdle that both governments must tackle before the year ends. Pragmatism has to override political posturing if these two neighbors want a stable border and functional economic partnership.
What Happens Next
Will Tarique Rahman touch down in New Delhi this September? Dhaka hasn't slammed the door, but they aren't rushing to book flights either.
If Rahman accepts, it resets the diplomatic baseline. It proves that both governments can compartmentalize friction over legacy political figures in favor of broader economic cooperation. If he declines, it highlights how much trust-building remains after years of political turbulence.
Watch how both foreign ministries handle the preliminary security and protocol talks over the next few weeks. The real breakthrough won't happen in front of the BRICS cameras. It will happen behind closed doors when officials sit down to clear out the persistent irritants stalling regional growth.
