PM Modi and Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus reportedly had a brief courtesy meeting and were seated side-by-side at the leaders’ dinner at the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday (April 3, 2025). This is the first time the two leaders have met under the same roof and reportedly exchanged pleasantries since Yunus took charge after the Bangladesh political unrest in July 2024.
Dhaka has signalled a “high possibility” of bilateral talks on April 4 on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit. However, New Delhi has not made any official announcement regarding a structured diplomatic dialogue. Earlier, Bangladesh had formally requested a meeting, but India’s official schedule only confirmed talks with Thailand’s Prime Minister. However, media reports indicated that India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has been considering the request.
Why is this meeting significant
The “meet and greet” comes at a time when the bilateral relations between the countries have taken a massive hit. The situation has been strained since former PM Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, and tensions have escalated between the nations over attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh and Sheikh Hasina’s continued stay in India. The attacks on minorities in Bangladesh have continued despite PM Modi’s repeated call for the protection of Hindus and other minority communities in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s growing bonhomie with China and Pakistan
The uneasy relationship is also because of Muhammad Yunus’s purported bonhomie with Pakistan and China, as opposed to Sheikh Hasina’s proximity with New Delhi.
After he took charge as the interim chief of the Bangladesh government, Yunus’s first bilateral visit was to China. This marked a paradigm shift in Dhaka’s foreign policy. Moreover, 54 years after it gained independence, Bangladesh’s growing ties with Pakistan have been adding to the complications in bilateral ties.
The controversy over the “landlocked” Northeast
Yunus’s comments and actions have repeatedly irked New Delhi. For instance, just last month, he stirred the hornet’s nest by saying that India’s northeast was “landlocked” and claimed that Bangladesh was the “only guardian of the ocean”.
In his BIMSTEC address, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasised India’s Northeast as a key connectivity hub. While he made no direct mention of Bangladesh, the message was rather clear.
BIMSTEC — Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation — focuses on economic and technical cooperation between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Bangladesh is poised to take over as the next chair of BIMSTEC.
