Sheikh Hasina slams Bangladesh PM Rahman for skipping BRICS Summit, says it ‘damages national interest’

Slamming Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s decision to skip the BRICS summit in India, former PM Sheikh Hasina said “it was immature and damaged Bangladesh’s national interest.” The former PM warned that foreign policy driven by personal reactions or short-term political calculations is inherently counterproductive. The participation of the prime minister at the summit of the influential grouping could have opened up new opportunities for the country’s economic and social development, but that chance was lost, she told PTI. 

The former Bangladesh prime minister said if her presence in New Delhi was the reason behind Rahman’s refusal to attend the summit, it was very unfortunate, as relations between two countries cannot be determined by personal considerations or political sensitivities involving one individual.

What Sheikh Hasina said? 

Questioning Rahman’s decision, Hasina said that a responsible government should “open doors for the country, not close them.” “New Delhi had extended an invitation to Bangladesh Prime Minister Rahman for the BRICS summit in his role as the current chair of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation). However, Rahman opted out of the summit, which took place in New Delhi on September 12 and 13.”  “It was deeply unfortunate that Bangladesh chose not to participate. In my view, it was an immature decision and one that did not serve Bangladesh’s national interest,” Hasina said.

“BRICS is not simply a diplomatic gathering. It brings together major emerging economies and creates opportunities for cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, technology and development. By participating, Bangladesh could have gained valuable experience and opened new opportunities for its own economic and social development. That opportunity was lost,” she said.

The former prime minister said foreign policy cannot be conducted through personal reaction or short-term political calculation. “India is our closest neighbour and an important historic partner, but BRICS engagement is also about Bangladesh’s own place in the international community,” she noted.

The 78-year-old Hasina, living in Delhi since she left Bangladesh following the collapse of her government in August, 2024 in the face of a massive anti-government agitation, also recalled, how then prime minister Ziaur Rahman visited New Delhi in 1979 even when she was staying in India.

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