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Water-sharing treaties on Ganges and Teesta rivers, Hasina extradition and regional trade facilitation dominated discussion as Bangladesh Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally held a much-hyped meeting Friday in Bangkok.
The leaders of the two major South Asian countries "greeted each other with mutual respect and a shared openness for dialogue. Their 40-minute exchange was candid, productive, and constructive," says a spokesperson for the Chief Adviser's Office.
At the one-on-one between the current heads of government of post-uprising Bangladesh and of India, held on the sidelines of BIMSTEC summit, both of them committed to advancing ties, which got strained following the August-5th changeover in Bangladesh through the toppling of ex-premier Sheikh Hasina, staying in exile in India ever since.
"Bangladesh deeply values its relationship with India," said Professor Yunus during thetamit talk.
"The deep-rooted friendship between our two countries is founded on intertwined histories, geographical proximity, and cultural affinity. We remain thankful for the unwavering support of the government and people of India during our most challenging time in 1971."
Although this was the first face-to-face meeting between the two heads of government, Professor Yunus emphasised that the countries remained engaged in numerous bilateral interactions over the past eight months since he took over.
Addressing the challenges facing the relationship between the two next-door neighbours, the chief adviser said, "Excellency, we seek to work together with you to set the relationship on the right track for the benefit of both our peoples."
The Nobel-laureate economist, who assumed the chairmanship of BIMSTEC, sought the support of India for a free-trade agreement (FTA) among the seven members of the sub-regional grouping encompassing South and Southeast Asia.
Professor Yunus called for discussions to renew the Ganges Water Treaty and to conclude the stalled Teesta Water-sharing Agreement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modij congratulated Professor Yunus on his assumption of the BIMSTEC chair, and he greeted him on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr.
The Indian Prime Minister said New Delhi always attached the "highest priority" to its relationship with Dhaka. The history of the two neighbours is "intricately linked, and it goes back to the birth of Bangladesh".
Prime Minister Modi cited the global stature of Prof Yunus. He said India would always support a "progressive, democratic and inclusive Bangladesh".
He makes it clear that India does not support any particular party in Bangladesh. "Our relationship is people-to-people," the Indian Prime Minister said.
Professor Yunus enquired about the status of Bangladesh's request for extradition of Sheikh Hasina, the unseated former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, which remains pending with the Indian government.
He points out that the former Prime Minister has been making inflammatory remarks in various media outlets and attempting to destabilise the situation in Bangladesh, which seemed to be an abuse of the hospitality India has extended to her.
"She has consistently made false and inflammatory accusations against the interim government of Bangladesh," Professor Yunus stated.
"We request that the Government of India take appropriate measures to restrain her from continuing to make such incendiary statements while she remains in your country."
Professor Yunus also referenced the OHCHR's Fact-Finding Report, which confirmed "serious human-rights violations and abuses committed by security forces and armed Awami League activists between July 15 and August 5, 2024".
He said the OHCHR report estimated that 1,400 protest-related deaths occurred, with approximately 13 per cent of the victims being children. He stated the UN fact-finders found "reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity, such as murder, torture, and other inhumane acts were committed" during the protests.
The UN report notes that the Prime Minister herself had ordered security forces to kill protesters and specifically instructed them to 'arrest the ringleaders, kill them, and hide their bodies'.
The Indian Prime Minister blamed social media for the tensions around Sheikh Hasina's remarks. He reiterated that India's attachment is with a country, not with any individuals or political organisations.
Professor Yunus also raised the issue of border killings and stressed that working together to reduce the number of fatalities would not only save many families' great anguish but would also help build trust and confidence and to strengthen the relationship between India and Bangladesh.
"I always felt the pain when these killings happen," the Bangladesh Chief Adviser said, urging India to find "ways and means" to prevent the incidents.
Prime Minister Modi said Indian border troops opened fire "only in self-defence and the fatalities occurred in Indian territories".
The two sides stressed the need for working together on this issue.
Professor Yunus struck a note of optimism about Bangladesh's chairmanship of BIMSTEC, saying that Bangladesh aims to increase the visibility of BIMSTEC and hopes that the organisation will emerge as an effective and vibrant entity capable of fulfilling the aspirations of the people in the region by giving them an efficient route for exporting and importing goods around the world.
Responding to Prime Minister Modi's concern over the condition of minorities in Bangladesh, the Chief Adviser said the reports of attacks on the minorities were hugely inflated and "the bulk of them were fake news".
He asked the Indian leader to send reporters to Bangladesh to investigate the alleged attacks themselves.
The Chief Adviser said he instituted an effective system for monitoring every incident of religious and gender violence in the country, and his government was taking serious actions to stop any such occurrence.
Both leaders concluded their fruitful and honest dialogue by wishing each other good health and personal wellbeing. They extended their best wishes for continued peace, progress, and prosperity for the two peoples.
Bangladesh foreign adviser Md Tauhid Hossain, High Representative of the Chief Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and national security adviser Ajit Doval were among others present on the occasion.