State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir has said that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will not attend the BRICS summit in India next week. He said Dhaka is not satisfied with the process by which Bangladesh has been invited to the conference.
He said this while talking to reporters at the Foreign Service Academy on Thursday.
Humayun Kabir said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has been invited to the BRICS Summit as the Chairman of BIMSTEC (Bangapaya Multipurpose Technical and Economic Cooperation Initiative), not as the Prime Minister. In view of such an invitation, there is a question of how the Prime Minister’s visit to the conference will be held.
He said the government of Bangladesh was not formally invited. The Prime Minister has been invited as the chairman of BIMSTEC, not as the Prime Minister.
The Minister said that bilateral communication is being given more importance than participating in multilateral forums in relations with India. He said bilateral visits between the two countries would be held if the environment is conducive with mutual respect. There is nothing in a hurry about this.
Earlier, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to attend the upcoming BRICS Summit. However, he was invited as the chairman of BIMSTEC rather than referring to him as the Prime Minister. Dhaka did not take it well.
Regarding the renewal of the Ganges Water Agreement, Humayun Kabir said the government will work with importance and efficiency where Bangladesh’s national interest is involved. What is being said in various media is not a matter of consideration; the interest of the country is the main one for the government.
He said the trade issue was being discussed between the two countries. However, there is no progress at this time on a final decision or new statement.
Referring to the solution to the Rohingya crisis, the state minister said it is not possible to set a time limit on such a complex issue. In addition to patience, diplomatic activities need to be strengthened. The government is looking forward to a realistic and acceptable solution to the crisis quickly.