India currently has no new information regarding Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s potential participation in the upcoming BRICS outreach session in New Delhi according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Speaking at a press briefing in New Delhi on Tuesday MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed several queries regarding Bangladesh-India relations. When asked about the BRICS summit Jaiswal told reporters "I don’t have any new information to share on this. The ministry will provide updates regarding the participation of foreign heads of state in due course. Please wait for our next announcement."
Jaiswal was also questioned about recent media reports suggesting that cross-border passenger train services between India and Bangladesh might resume in October after a two-year suspension. He briefly responded that he had no official information on the matter.
Furthermore, journalists inquired whether the recent meeting between Bangladesh President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi included discussions on Prime Minister Rahman's BRICS attendance or the potential extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Dismissing the speculation Jaiswal clarified that the interaction was strictly a courtesy call. "Our High Commissioner paid a courtesy visit to the President of Bangladesh. They discussed various aspects of India-Bangladesh ties shared interests and people-to-people contacts also focusing on how to advance this bilateral relationship in the days to come" he added.
