"India extends BRICS outreach invitation to Bangladesh as BIMSTEC chair"
BRICS Outreach Session
a BRICS summit feature where the chair invites non-member regional leaders to select deliberations
BIMSTEC
Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation; 7-member sub-regional grouping
India and Bangladesh share one of South Asia's most consequential bilateral relationships — shaped by a common history of the 1971 Liberation War, shared river systems, and a land border longer than India's boundary with China, running through West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. The two countries are co-members of multiple regional frameworks, most notably BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation), which groups India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan around Bay of Bengal connectivity and economic cooperation.
India's Neighbourhood First Policy places Bangladesh at the centre of its regional strategy, prioritising connectivity, trade, energy, and people-to-people ties. However, the political transition in Dhaka — with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) now in power — has introduced a recalibration in Bangladesh's foreign policy orientation. The new government has articulated a 'Bangladesh First' doctrine, seeking to diversify partnerships rather than anchor its foreign policy to any single neighbour. This has included deepening engagement with China under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with Chinese investment in Bangladesh standing at approximately $7.7 billion and bilateral debt at around $6.2 billion. Against this backdrop, India's diplomatic outreach — including the BRICS summit invitation — carries strategic significance beyond protocol.
BRICS itself has undergone a significant structural transformation. Originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, the grouping expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia joined as a full member in 2025, bringing total membership to eleven. India assumed the BRICS chairship and is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
BRICS outreach sessions are a standard feature of BRICS summits, where the chair country invites leaders of non-member states — typically heads of regional groupings or partner countries — to participate in select deliberations. This practice allows the host to shape the summit's diplomatic footprint and signal foreign policy priorities. India's decision to invite the Bangladesh Prime Minister specifically in his capacity as BIMSTEC chair — rather than as a bilateral guest — is institutionally significant: it frames the invitation as multilateral protocol rather than a bilateral favour, reducing the political sensitivity of the gesture while still achieving the diplomatic objective of engagement. …
Consider the following statements with regard to BRICS:
I.16th BRICS Summit was held under the Chairship of Russia in Kazan.
II.Indonesia has become a full member of BRICS.
III.The theme of the 16th BRICS Summit was 'Strengthening Multiculturalism for Just Global Development and Security'.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to a grouping of countries known as BRICS, consider the following statements:
1.The First Summit of BRICS was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2009.
2.South Africa was the last to join the BRICS grouping.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The 'Fortaleza Declaration', recently in the news, is related to the affairs of
With reference to BRICS, consider the following statements:
1.Indonesia became a full member of BRICS in 2025.
2.Iran joined BRICS in 2024 along with Egypt, Ethiopia, and the UAE.
3.BRICS collectively accounts for approximately 40% of global GDP and 26% of global trade.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) comprises which of the following countries?
1.India
2.Pakistan
3.Myanmar
4.Thailand
5.Maldives
6.Nepal
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Consider the following statements about BRICS outreach sessions:
1.Outreach sessions allow the BRICS chair to invite leaders of non-member states to select summit deliberations.
2.Only heads of state of G20 countries are eligible to be invited to BRICS outreach sessions.
3.India invited the Bangladesh Prime Minister to the 18th BRICS Summit outreach in his capacity as the current BIMSTEC chair.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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