Strong Possibility of Yunus-Modi Meeting at BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, Says Bangladesh Official

A top-level meeting between Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "highly likely" to be held on the margins of the upcoming BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, a top official said on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Modi will be visiting Thailand this Thursday for a two-day visit, during which he will attend the 6th BIMSTEC Summit (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) and hold talks with his Thai counterpart, Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

As reported by Khalilur Rahman, the Chief Adviser's High Representative to the Rohingya crisis and other strategic issues, Bangladesh has officially requested a meeting of the two leaders. In an interview with the Dhaka Tribune, Rahman sounded hopeful, adding, "We have reasonable grounds to remain hopeful." Even the state-owned BSS news agency quoted an unnamed source confirming that Yunus and Modi are expected to hold talks during the summit.

In the meantime, New Delhi-based sources have not dismissed the idea of such a meeting.

India-Bangladesh relations have been under strain since the interim government headed by Yunus came into power after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. New Delhi has raised fears over growing violence against Hindus in Bangladesh and the growing role of hardline Islamist groups.

Adding to diplomatic tensions, Yunus' recent China visit was controversial. While in China last week, he held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and signed nine agreements to enhance economic cooperation between Dhaka and Beijing. But his statement regarding India's northeast drew Indian ire.

Addressing the Chinese officials, Yunus discussed the strategic importance of Bangladesh and said, "India's eastern states, popularly known as the Seven Sisters, are landlocked. They don't have direct access to the sea. Bangladesh, being the only sea gateway to the region, can be an economic bridge."

These remarks, which emerged on social media on Monday, evoked sharp responses from Indian political circles. Party leaders condemned the statement, terming it "provocative" and "deeply inappropriate."

Reacting to the criticism, Rahman explained that Yunus' remarks had been "misinterpreted." Speaking to journalists in Dhaka, he said, "The Chief Adviser's remarks were made with good intention. If others interpret them otherwise, that is not our concern."

As the BIMSTEC Summit gets underway on Thursday, Modi will be in the presence of leaders from Bangladesh, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, and Bhutan to watch the signing of a historic Agreement on Maritime Cooperation.

It will be the first physical gathering of BIMSTEC leaders after the 4th Summit in Kathmandu in 2018. The previous summit, in Colombo in March 2022, was conducted virtually.