Modi and Yunus Hold First Talks Since Dhaka Regime Change at BIMSTEC Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh's Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus met on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok on Friday, their first encounter since the change of government in Dhaka eight months ago. The talks, which lasted around 40 minutes, were held in cordial terms even as both sides pressed long-standing grievances.

Modi conveyed India's backing for a "democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh" and said rhetoric that spoils the atmosphere should be avoided, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters that the Prime Minister voiced concern over the safety and security of minorities, including Hindus, targeted after Sheikh Hasina's departure from Dhaka in August 2024, and hoped Bangladesh would seriously investigate and address these matters.

Yunus, for his part, raised alleged human rights violations under the Hasina government and asked New Delhi to act on Dhaka's request for her extradition to face trial in Bangladesh. His office said he also sought to restrain her from making what Dhaka called false and inflammatory statements while she remains in India. He further raised alleged killings along the border by Indian security forces and hoped they would stop.

The Bangladeshi leader said his country deeply values its ties with India, rooted in an intertwined history, and thanked India for its support during the 1971 liberation war. He presented Modi with a photograph from a 2015 event in Mumbai where the Prime Minister had honoured him. Bangladesh will host the next BIMSTEC summit and take over the grouping's chairmanship, with Modi congratulating Yunus on the role.

On the summit's margins, Modi also met Myanmar's junta chief and Prime Minister, General Min Aung Hlaing, for the first time since the 2021 coup, and Nepal's Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli. With Min Aung Hlaing, Modi stressed the importance of restoring democracy in Myanmar early, including through credible and inclusive elections, while the General thanked India for relief assistance after the recent earthquakes in Mandalay and other areas. The invitation to the Myanmar junta chief drew a protest from the National Unity Government, which warned that continued engagement with the military would worsen the humanitarian crisis.

Modi described his meeting with Oli as productive, saying the two discussed India-Nepal friendship, particularly energy, connectivity, culture and digital technology. Neither side confirmed any discussion of a pending Delhi visit by Oli, and New Delhi and Dhaka gave no indication of whether Yunus had received an invitation to visit India.