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.