The new government in Dhaka is suffering from a severely inflated sense of importance. India is hosting the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. Standard diplomatic protocol dictates that the host nation invites the chair of regional groups to special outreach sessions. India did exactly that, inviting Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman strictly in his capacity as the current Chair of BIMSTEC.
Instead of using this massive multilateral platform to engage globally, Dhaka threw a very public diplomatic tantrum.
The Boycott and Bruised Egos
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir made their bruised ego public. He complained openly to the media, asking how they could attend when no one from the Bangladesh government was invited as a national representative. He explicitly stated that the BIMSTEC Chair was invited, but their Prime Minister was not.
Because India refused to roll out a special bilateral red carpet at a multilateral event, Bangladesh has decided to officially boycott the summit. They are sending zero government representatives to New Delhi.
Resorting to Diplomatic Extortion
A simple boycott was apparently not enough for the new regime. To escalate the situation, the BNP leadership immediately resorted to diplomatic extortion. BNP chief whip Nurul Islam Moni announced that Dhaka is now aggressively reviewing 101 bilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding signed with India.
This sudden review targets critical mutual interests, including massive investments in ports and regional connectivity. Dhaka is essentially holding bilateral trade and infrastructure hostage simply because their Prime Minister did not receive exclusive VIP treatment at a global summit.
The Real Reason Behind the Outburst
This overreaction is a convenient smokescreen. The relationship between New Delhi and the BNP led government has been deteriorating rapidly. The core friction points are obvious to anyone watching the region. India continues to provide safety to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, completely ignoring the loud and repetitive extradition demands coming from Dhaka.
Furthermore, Bangladesh is actively pivoting its foreign policy towards China and Pakistan while constantly picking unnecessary fights with India over river water sharing.
A Glaring Hypocrisy
The irony of this entire episode is glaring. A separate bilateral invitation for Tarique Rahman has actually been sitting on the table since February 2026. Dhaka previously stalled the process, demanding that the environment must be conducive for a purely bilateral visit. Now, when offered a standard multilateral seat at BRICS, they cry foul and claim they are being ignored.
The new administration in Dhaka needs a harsh reality check. India dictates the diplomatic terms in the subcontinent. Throwing away 101 connectivity agreements over a bruised ego will not punish New Delhi. It will only isolate Bangladesh further and destroy their own economic growth.