Modi, Interim Leader Yunus Hold First Official Talks Amid Strained Ties Post-Hasina Asylum in India

Modi, Bangladesh’s Interim Leader Yunus Hold First Official Talks Amid Strained Ties Post-Hasina's Asylum in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Bangladesh's interim chief advisor, Muhammad Yunus, on Friday during the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, marking their first formal engagement amid rising diplomatic tensions.

The meeting followed a prior request from Dhaka for a bilateral discussion on the sidelines of the summit. However, Modi's official itinerary in Thailand had not initially included such a meeting.

Relations between the two nations have become strained recently, stemming from reports of violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh and India’s decision to grant asylum to former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Tensions further escalated following Yunus’s controversial remarks about India’s northeastern states during his speech at China’s Boao Forum for Asia.

A previous PTI report had indicated a potential meeting between the two leaders. On Thursday, Modi and Yunus were seen seated together at a dinner event during the summit.

This high-level dialogue is the first since Sheikh Hasina fled to India in August last year, following widespread student-led demonstrations that led to the fall of her 16-year rule under the Awami League. Yunus has stated that Bangladesh formally requested Hasina’s extradition to face trial, but has not received an official reply from New Delhi.

In a letter sent to Yunus last month, PM Modi affirmed India’s commitment to strengthening its relationship with Bangladesh, emphasizing shared goals of peace, stability, and prosperity, along with mutual respect for each other’s concerns.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) brings together seven countries from South and Southeast Asia, representing a population of 1.73 billion and a combined GDP of $5.2 trillion. Thailand currently chairs the grouping. This summit marks the first in-person gathering of leaders since the 2018 Kathmandu summit.