Khalilur Rahman mum on Tarique's BRICS summit attendance
The summit is expected to discuss a range of pressing global challenges, including the economic consequences of the West Asia crisis.
UN General Assembly President and Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman yesterday (8 September) declined to comment on whether Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will attend the BRICS summit's outreach session in New Delhi next week.
Asked about Dhaka's participation, Khalilur Rahman said he was speaking at the press briefing in his capacity as president of the UN General Assembly and asked reporters to raise bilateral matters with him separately in his capacity as foreign minister.
"I'm not here [in a] national capacity, so please forgive me... I will really ask all of you to ask me questions or approach me in my capacity as the President of the General Assembly. If there are bilateral issues, I'm still the foreign minister; I'll speak to you separately," Rahman told a press briefing in New York.
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India is hosting the annual BRICS summit in New Delhi on 12 and 13 September.
The summit is expected to discuss a range of pressing global challenges, including the economic consequences of the West Asia crisis.
Rahman assumed office as president of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly yesterday (8 September), taking over the presidency of the world body's annual session.
His remarks came amid uncertainty over Bangladesh's participation in the BRICS summit's outreach session.
Yesterday, India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also said there was no update on Bangladesh's participation when asked in New Delhi whether Dhaka had confirmed Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's attendance at the summit.
BRICS was originally formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates joined the grouping in 2024, while Indonesia became a member in 2025.
