PM Modi Meets Muhammad Yunus In Bangkok As Ties With Bangladesh Fray

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Muhammad Yunus, chief advisor to Bangladesh's interim government, in Bangkok for their first meeting since the change of government in Dhaka.

The meeting happened at the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit in the Thai capital. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were also present during the meeting.

BIMSTEC, or the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, comprises five South Asian countries—Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka—and two Southeast Asian nations, Myanmar and Thailand. Bangladesh is the incoming chair of the BIMSTEC grouping.

Bangladesh is the incoming chair of the BIMSTEC grouping. (Photo source: Narendra Modi/ X profile)

Bilateral ties between the two countries remain under strain following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August last year. She fled to India after violent student-led protests against her 15-year rule.

Indian diplomatic missions in the country have faced attacks, while the Modi government also raised concerns over attacks on religious minorities in Bangladesh.

Yunus has yet to visit India since he assumed charge in Dhaka last year.

Last month, Modi said India wants to advance relations with Bangladesh based on "mutual sensitivity" to each other's interests and concerns, amid a frost in ties.

"We remain committed to advancing this partnership, driven by our common aspirations for peace, stability, and prosperity, and based on mutual sensitivity to each other's interests and concerns," Modi said in a letter to Yunus, wishing him on Bangladesh's National Day.

Notably, Yunus visited China last month and held talks with President Xi Jinping and top business executives. There, he urged Beijing to extend its economic influence to Bangladesh, controversially mentioning that India's northeastern states being landlocked could prove to be an opportunity.

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 issued a quick clarification on Yunus' statement.