Tensions between India and Bangladesh are in focus after Dhaka skipped the BRICS summit in Delhi

When India hosted a BRICS leaders' summit in New Delhi earlier this month , a notable absentee was Bangladesh 's Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

The Indian government says Rahman received two invitations: one to attend a BRICS outreach session as the chair of a regional group of nations around the Bay of Bengal, known as BIMSTEC, and another for a bilateral visit to India.

But in Dhaka, these invitations were viewed as a snub, as Rahman was not formally invited to the summit proper in his capacity as prime minister, but only as the chair of BIMSTEC.

This represents a departure from Bangladesh's previous prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, who was invited as premier to previous BRICS summit events, even though Bangladesh is not a member.

The case is the latest example of the frosty ties between the two South Asian neighbors that have developed since Hasina's ouster in 2024 following huge protests and a deadly crackdown.

Hasina fled to India, and last year was sentenced to death after being convicted in absentia of crimes against humanity over the response to the protests.

Bangladesh has called on India to extradite Hasina so that she can face justice.

Hasina has rejected the verdict, calling it politically motivated.