BIMSTEC summit: This was the first time that both the leaders have been under the same roof since Yunus assumed office in July last year.
BIMSTEC summit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh’s interim government Chief Adviser, Muhammad Yunus, were spotted sitting together at an official dinner hosted by the Thailand PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra ahead of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit.
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.
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PM Modi arrived in Thailand today for a two-day visit to attend the sixth BIMSTEC summit. Upon his arrival, Modi was received by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Suriya Jungrungreangkit.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an international organisation of seven South Asian and Southeast Asian nations. The BIMSTEC member states – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand – are among the countries dependent on the Bay of Bengal.
PM Modi to hold bilateral meeting with Yunus in Thailand
Prime Minister Modi is expected to hold talks with Yunus here on Friday, their first meeting since the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August last year. The meeting between Modi and Yunus is likely to take place on the sidelines of the 6th BIMSTEC Summit, the first in-person deliberations of the leaders of the regional grouping since 2018.
As per the reports, Bangladesh has requested a meeting between its interim government’s chief adviser and Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand. If it happens, this would be the first-ever meeting between the two leaders following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster.
India-Bangladesh ties
Since Yunus’ interim government took charge following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in August 2024, India-Bangladesh ties have weakened, with Delhi expressing concerns over rising attacks on Hindus and the growing influence of hardline Islamist groups.
During his recent visit to China, Yunus urged Beijing to expand its economic presence in Bangladesh, controversially suggesting that India’s landlocked northeastern states could benefit from this. He referred to Bangladesh as the “only guardian of the ocean” in the region, implying it could serve as an economic bridge for China. The remarks sparked discontent in India, prompting Bangladesh officials to issue clarifications.
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