In a first appearance together, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus were seen sitting side by side at the dinner hosted by Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra for leaders of the BIMSTEC grouping in Bangkok. According to reports, Bangladeshi officials have said that a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and Md Yunus is likely. However, the India is yet to confirm the meeting on the sidelines of the sixth summit of the leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
Yunus’ office shared photographs of the Bangladesh Chief Adviser seated next to Modi at Hotel Shangri-La on the banks of the Chao Phraya River.
Since the interim government headed by Yunus stepped in following the ouster of the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, the ties between India and Bangladesh have seen a slump amid Delhi’s concerns over the violence targeting Hindus and a rise of hardline Islamist forces there. During his visit to China last week, Yunus urged Beijing to extend its economic influence to Bangladesh, controversially mentioning that India’s northeastern states being landlocked could prove to be an opportunity.
Yunus said the seven northeastern states of India are a landlocked region and have no way to reach out to the ocean. Calling Bangladesh the “only guardian of the ocean” in the region, he said this could be a huge opportunity and could be an extension of the Chinese economy. The remarks didn’t go down well in India and Bangladesh officials have issued clarification on Yunus’ statement. (With PTI inputs)