Setting aside the tensions of the past eight months in their first meeting after the change of power in Dhaka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus held talks on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC regional summit in Bangkok on Friday (April 4, 2025).The two leaders raised contentious issues – including India’s call for protection of minorities in Bangladesh, Dhaka’s demand for the extradition of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and border security issues – during the meeting that lasted about 40 minutes, they met in a cordial manner and exchanged commitments for bilateral relations. Bangladesh will host the next BIMSTEC summit next year, and Mr Modi congratulated Mr Yunus on assuming its presidency.The Modi-Yunus meeting on Friday (April 4, 2025) came just after the conclusion of the sixth summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation or BIMSTEC. BIMSTEC is a grouping of seven countries that links South Asia and Southeast Asia.Mr Modi also met Myanmar junta commander and Prime Minister Gen Min Aung Hlaing for the first time since the military seized power in Myanmar in 2021, and Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who will take over in July 2024, during the meeting in Thailand. All three leaders have opted to visit China, while New Delhi has not extended an invitation to them due to tensions over a number of issues and concerns over the legitimacy of the governments in Dhaka and Naypyidaw. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on the Modi-Yunus meeting, Mr Modi expressed India’s support for a “democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh”, and “urged that rhetoric that vitiates the atmosphere should be refrained from”.The Ministry of External Affairs said that during the talks with Gen Min Aung Hlaing, the Prime Minister “underscored the importance of early restoration of the democratic process in Myanmar, including credible and inclusive elections.” The general thanked India for its assistance in the ongoing relief efforts following the devastating earthquake that struck Mandalay and other parts of the country last week.General Min’s invitation to the BIMSTEC summit was opposed by Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD-led National Unity Government (NUG), which was ousted from power following a coup in 2021. The now-exiled NUG said in a statement, “Continued engagement with the military junta will only fuel its violent repression and worsen Myanmar’s humanitarian crisis.”Sought invitation to visit DelhiMr Modi said in a post on social media that his meeting with Mr Oli was “productive”. He said the two leaders discussed “India-Nepal friendship, especially in areas such as energy, connectivity, culture and digital technology”. However, the two sides did not confirm discussions on Mr Oli’s visit to Delhi, which is pending despite multiple requests from Kathmandu, which Nepal’s Foreign Minister Arzoo Rana confirmed in an interview to The Hindu.New Delhi and Dhaka gave no indication of whether Mr Yunus – whose office also told The Hindu he had been asked to visit India – had received any invitation from Mr Modi.Briefing the media after the meetings, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the Prime Minister expressed concern over the “safety of minorities, including Hindus” who were targeted after Ms Hasina’s departure from Dhaka amid protests in August 2024.“(The Prime Minister) expressed hope that the (Bangladesh) government will take its responsibilities seriously and ensure that these matters are properly investigated and resolved,” he said.Shafiqul Alam, a spokesman for Mr Yunus, said the Bangladeshi interim leader had spoken about alleged human rights violations committed by the Hasina government. He also asked New Delhi to respond to Dhaka’s request that Ms Hasina be extradited to Bangladesh for trial and prevent her from making “false and inflammatory allegations”.”(The Prime Minister) expressed hope that the (Bangladesh) government will take its responsibilities seriously and ensure that these cases are properly investigated and resolved,” he said.”We request the Indian government to take appropriate measures to prevent him from making such provocative statements during his stay in your country,” Mr Alam said, quoting Mr Yunus’ statement at the meeting. He also raised the issue of alleged border killings by Indian security forces at the meeting and hoped they could be stopped.Mr Yunus said Bangladesh “attaches great importance to its relations with India”, which are based on “interconnected history”, the Bangladesh Chief Adviser’s Office said.Talking on this topic sudhanshu verma, apolitical analyst said” This meeting is an attempt to resolve the tensions in India-Bangladesh relations. Although the two countries have differences on contentious issues such as the protection of minorities and the extradition of Sheikh Hasina, this dialogue appears to be a positive step towards strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation.”
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