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Bangladesh has reached out to India for a possible meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit in Thailand in early April, according to an Indian news agency.
India’s ANI reported that Dhaka is keen to arrange the meeting while both leaders are in Thailand for the sixth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit, scheduled for Apr 2-4, as per a UNB report.
Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain confirmed the diplomatic outreach, saying: “We have contacted India through diplomatic channels for a meeting between the two leaders during the BIMSTEC summit.”
Yunus is set to visit China on Mar 26, ahead of the BIMSTEC summit, where he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Apr 28.
Meanwhile, during a meeting with an International Crisis Group delegation led by President and CEO Comfort Ero at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka on Thursday, Yunus expressed his desire to strengthen India-Bangladesh ties.
According to a statement from the Chief Advisor’s Press Wing, Yunus also voiced concerns over the spread of “misinformation" about Bangladesh, much of which, he claimed, originates from Indian media.
Sheikh Hasina was removed from power on Aug 5, 2024, following a mass student-led movement and subsequently moved to India.
Three days later, the Yunus-led interim government took over.
Despite previous opportunities, Yunus and Modi have yet to hold a formal meeting.
A planned meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2024 was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts, as Modi left New York before Yunus arrived.
Some Indian media outlets suggested that Yunus’ interview comments at the time led to the meeting’s cancellation.
In an interview with PTI in early September, Yunus said “the former prime minister (Sheikh Hasina) should remain silent while in India unless Bangladesh wants her back.”
The two leaders also missed an opportunity to meet at the Commonwealth summit in Samoa in October, as neither attended the event.