Will not attend the BRICS summit held in India — this country has spoken out first! On September 10, according to The Hindu, Indian media reported that although Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was invited to attend the BRICS summit in New Delhi, a diplomatic source in Bangladesh said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina might be unable to attend the multilateral BRICS summit hosted by India.
Bangladesh stated that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is eager to visit India as soon as possible; however, he is concerned about what tangible outcomes and achievements he will need to demonstrate upon returning home. Clearly, despite Bangladesh not being a BRICS member nor a BRICS partner country, why did India extend the invitation? The fundamental reason lies in Bangladesh’s strategic location in eastern India, its large population, and critical geopolitical position. India fears that if it completely distances itself, Bangladesh may further align with other major powers.
By proactively extending an olive branch, India could not only ease relations with Bangladesh but also project an image of itself as a leader in South Asia and the Bay of Bengal region, thereby winning favor among Global South nations. However, it is evident that since the fall of the pro-India Hasina government, relations between India and Bangladesh have undoubtedly become strained. There are several reasons why Bangladesh is considering politely declining India's invitation.
First, Bangladesh has requested extradition of Hasina, but India has refused. Second, the renewal of the Ganges Water Treaty remains unresolved between the two sides. Third, Bangladesh faces severe energy and electricity shortages and hopes for Indian assistance, yet there has been no concrete response so far. Clearly, amid rising anti-Indian sentiment in Bangladesh, the government will likely refrain from attending unless it secures tangible results. Otherwise, attending without real outcomes would essentially just be going through the motions.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1875926147557642/
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