Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Muhammad Yunus are expected to attend next month’s Bimstec Summit in Thailand, but the likelihood of a formal meeting remains slim, reports Hindustan Times citing sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday (20 March).
The summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec), which brings together Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, will be held in Bangkok on 3-4 April.
This marks the first multilateral event attended by both leaders.
Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain said on Thursday that Dhaka has made a formal request for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit. However, three sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that the current state of bilateral relations does not support such an engagement.
“The grounds have not been prepared for such a meeting, particularly given the friction in ties,” one of the sources said.
“An encounter or exchange of pleasantries cannot be ruled out, but a formal meeting looks difficult.”
A second source noted that anti-India rhetoric from certain members of Bangladesh’s interim government has further diminished the chances of a dialogue.
“With near-daily criticism coming from Dhaka, the environment is not conducive to a diplomatic exchange at the highest level,” they added.
Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Hossain, speaking to ANI on Thursday, confirmed that Dhaka has approached India diplomatically for a meeting between Modi and Yunus at the summit’s margins.
Relations between New Delhi and Dhaka have hit a historic low, with both sides at odds over multiple issues.
India has raised concerns regarding:
- Attacks on Bangladesh’s Hindu and other minority communities
- Deteriorating law and order
- The release of violent extremists from jail
Bangladesh, on the other hand, has pressed India on:
- The presence of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in India
- Its request for Hasina’s extradition
- Longstanding disputes over cross-border river water-sharing and border fencing
Last September, Bangladesh sought a Modi-Yunus meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, but India declined.
India has yet to formally respond to Dhaka’s request to extradite Sheikh Hasina, who faces a slew of charges in Bangladesh, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and crimes against humanity.
Hasina, who fled to India on 5 August 2024, was granted safe passage under “exceptional circumstances.”
She is believed to be living in a safe house in New Delhi, with limited communication.
Her recent online speeches to Awami League activists have further escalated tensions with the interim government in Dhaka.
In February, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Hossain during the Indian Ocean Conference in Oman, marking the highest-level contact since Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s visit to Dhaka last December.
While informal interactions between Modi and Yunus at Bimstec remain possible, the diplomatic rift makes a structured dialogue highly improbable.
