DHAKA — India says it has no information on whether Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will attend the upcoming BRICS Summit in New Delhi or whether another official will represent Bangladesh if he does not participate, leaving Dhaka’s representation uncertain just a week before the gathering.
Responding to a question at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ regular briefing Friday, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said he had no new information to share on the matter.
India has invited Rahman to attend the outreach segment of the BRICS Summit in his capacity as chairman of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, or BIMSTEC. The summit is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on Sept. 12 and 13.
The Indian government had earlier formally invited Rahman for a bilateral visit shortly after he became prime minister. He was subsequently invited to the BRICS gathering as BIMSTEC chair.
However, neither Rahman’s participation nor the possibility of Bangladesh being represented by another official has yet been confirmed.
Situation complicated after Hasina announces return
The situation surrounding Rahman’s proposed visit became more complicated from the Bangladeshi side after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced that she intended to return to Bangladesh in December.
Sources familiar with discussions involving the foreign-policy establishments of Bangladesh and India told The Voice that the Bangladesh government does not want Awami League President Sheikh Hasina to return to the country at this stage and has sought assurances from the Indian government on the matter.
According to the sources, Dhaka has also sought New Delhi’s cooperation to ensure that Hasina does not continue speaking publicly on Bangladesh while living abroad.
India did not agree to that request, the sources said, considering such restrictions inconsistent with its principles concerning political freedom and freedom of expression.
Indian officials also reminded their Bangladeshi counterparts that Tarique Rahman himself spent about 17 years abroad while regularly speaking on political developments in Bangladesh and leading the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, one of the country’s major political parties, from overseas, according to the sources.
India presses for conditions for Hasina’s return
India, meanwhile, has pressed the Bangladesh government to create an appropriate environment for Hasina’s return to her country, the sources told The Voice.
The issue of withdrawing political restrictions imposed on the Awami League has also figured in discussions between the two countries, according to the sources.
These exchanges have taken place behind closed doors and have not been publicly acknowledged in detail by either government.
The private discussions also contrast with the position publicly articulated by the Bangladesh government.
Dhaka has publicly maintained that it wants Hasina returned from India as a detainee to face legal proceedings in Bangladesh.
Bangladeshi officials have also argued that Hasina’s “continuous political campaigning” on Bangladesh while staying in India has contributed to uncertainty surrounding Prime Minister Rahman’s proposed visit.
Hasina, however, has said she intends to return to Bangladesh voluntarily and has rejected suggestions that her return is based on any understanding with the current government.
India declines comment on Hasina interviews
Hasina has recently given a new round of interviews to Indian media, in which she discussed her planned return to Bangladesh in December.
Her interviews were also raised during Friday’s Indian Foreign Ministry briefing.
One journalist noted that the timing of the interviews was particularly significant and asked whether the Indian government had anything to say about them.
Jaiswal declined to comment.
Another journalist referred to Hasina’s statement in an interview that she had reached no understanding with the Bangladesh government regarding her planned return in December and that there were no behind-the-scenes negotiations with the government.
The journalist also noted that Hasina had sought assurances concerning her personal security, access to lawyers and an independent and impartial judicial process upon her return.
Asked whether Hasina had communicated any of those matters to the Indian government, Jaiswal said he had no information on the issue.
Uncertainty remains over BRICS representation
Against that backdrop, uncertainty over Bangladesh’s participation in the BRICS Summit remains unresolved.
India’s invitation to Rahman for the BRICS outreach session came separately from its earlier invitation for him to make a bilateral visit.
But a week before the summit, New Delhi has not publicly confirmed whether Rahman will attend, while Dhaka has also not announced that another official will represent Bangladesh in his place.
Jaiswal’s response Friday left both questions open — whether the prime minister will travel to New Delhi and, if he does not, whether Bangladesh will send another representative.
The uncertainty comes as the two governments continue discussions over Rahman’s proposed visit while differences remain over Hasina’s planned return, Dhaka’s requests concerning her activities in India and the political status of the Awami League.
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