Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to attend the upcoming BRICS Summit in New Delhi as a special guest, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam said on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shama Obaid said the official invitation had already been received by the ministry and forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Office.
“We have received the invitation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and it has been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office,” she said.
The 18th BRICS Summit is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 12-13. Although Bangladesh is not a member of the BRICS grouping, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to participate in the summit as a special guest.
Responding to a question about Bangladesh’s concerns over the ongoing student protests in India, where many Bangladeshi nationals are currently residing, the state minister said Bangladesh hopes for peace and stability across the region.
“As a democratic country and a democratic government, we want peace and stability to prevail in our region,” she said. “We hope that India, as the world’s largest democracy, will address the concerns of its people and move swiftly toward resolving the situation.”
Replying to another question regarding reports that President Mohammed Shahabuddin spoke by telephone with ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during his visit to London in May for medical treatment, Shama Obaid said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not yet received any specific information from the Bangladesh mission in London.
“We have not received any concrete information on the matter so far,” she said. “If the reports are found to be true, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will investigate the issue, and the government will also conduct an inquiry.”