India formally invites PM Tarique Rahman for bilateral visit

India has formally invited Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to undertake a bilateral visit to New Delhi, while also extending a separate invitation for him to attend the outreach session of the BRICS summit in September. Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed the invitations at the ministry’s weekly briefing in New Delhi on Friday, saying both had already been conveyed to the Bangladesh government.

Jaiswal said the schedule for the bilateral visit had yet to be finalised, although discussions were underway to arrange a high-level visit at the earliest opportunity. Indian media reports suggested that the trip could take place in late August or the first week of September, but no definitive date has been announced. The 18th BRICS summit is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on September 12-13. The invitations come amid renewed efforts to stabilise and strengthen Dhaka-New Delhi relations, following a series of diplomatic engagements, including Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman’s visit to India and Tarique Rahman’s August 10 meeting with India’s newly appointed High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi.

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The two countries also discussed Bangladesh’s energy requirements during Friday’s briefing, with Jaiswal saying India was positively considering Bangladesh’s request for additional fuel supplies. He said an existing agreement between the two countries provides for continued diesel supplies, while any request for additional volumes would be assessed against India’s domestic demand, refinery capacity and overall diesel availability. The timing of the bilateral invitation and the positive signal on fuel supplies are being viewed as significant diplomatic developments, although Dhaka has yet to announce whether Tarique Rahman will undertake the bilateral visit or attend the BRICS outreach session.