Lost opportunity: Bangladesh’s absence from the 18th BRICS Summit

Source: Hindustan Times | Original Published At: 2026-09-11 04:57:13 UTC

Key Points

• The article discusses Bangladesh’s absence from the 18th BRICS Summit and presents it as a missed diplomatic opportunity.
• It links the absence to strained India-Bangladesh relations after the 2024 political transition in Dhaka and extradition demands involving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
• It describes the summit as a multilateral setting that could have enabled sideline engagement with Indian counterparts and other global leaders.
• It notes that the summit was expected to include leaders from China, Russia, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the UN Secretary-General.
• It states that Bangladesh is a member of the New Development Bank and has significant economic and infrastructure ties with India, China and Russia.
• It says participation could have advanced Bangladesh’s interests in trade, connectivity, water resources, border management, climate finance and Global South cooperation.