New Delhi: Major turn of events: during the BIMSTEC Summit, Bangladesh’s caretaker government head Muhammad Yunus visited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bangkok, Thailand. Their first face-to-face meeting is to meet nine months after Yunus assumed leadership as the caretaker government head. Although both leaders had arrived in Bangkok for the regional conference, their encounter took place in privacy away from the gathering. Although the exact details of their exchange are unknown, both nations’ high-level diplomats were there, suggesting it might have included modern subjects and possible economic deals between Bangladesh and India.
Yunus has long yearned to sit with Modi, whose media adviser recently noted that even with several tries, it was difficult to arrange a meeting. Originally intending to travel to India first, Yunus had been appointed Chief Advisor following a coup in Bangladesh, but the Indian government denied approval for the visit. Since the political turmoil that expelled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, relations between India and Bangladesh have been hostile. Further souring relations, Bangladesh has seen more attacks on Hindus under Yunus’s leadership and actions deemed as anti-India.
More recently, strains ran high when Yunus, on a trip to China, observed on India’s “Chicken Neck”—a small strip of land connecting its northeastern states—”should be in Chinese hands.” Bangladesh had to clarify that Yunus’s comments were misinterpreted, as India was offended. It emphasised the delicate nature of bilateral relationships, which have suffered great pressure in the 45 years since India helped Bangladesh to acquire freedom.
The backdrop of this diplomatic conflict is Bangladesh’s insistence on Sheikh Hasina’s extradition, who fled to India after her resignation. The interim administration blames her for planning a massacre, but India’s refusal to deport her exacerbates the already existing hostility. The Modi-Yunus encounter in Bangkok raises issues about whether it would lead to improved relations or only draw attention to their deep-rooted disagreements as the two nations negotiate this rocky road.