Modi-Yunus Meet In Bangkok May Not Result In A Thaw In Relations

Bangkok: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is meeting Muhammad Yunus, chief advisor of the interim government in Bangladesh, on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday. This is the first time that Modi is meeting any Bangladeshi leader since the ouster of that country’s former prime minister Sk Hasina on August 5, 2024.

Modi is expected to take up several issues with Yunus, including his latest appeal to Chinese premier Xi Jinping to intervene in India’s northeastern states. India has expressed its extreme displeasure over this and certain comments from Bangladeshi leaders regarding the strategic ‘Chicken Neck’ corridor that connects the northeastern states of India with the rest of the country.

Prime Minister Modi is also likely to take up the issue of violence against minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh. Yunus has been maintaining that these attacks on Hindu homes and temples are ‘politically motivated’ and have nothing to do with religion. The Hindus in Bangladesh – barely 7.95% of the total population – are perceived to be pro-Hasina.

“The Indian Prime Minister will also want to know of plans to restore democracy in the country. Yunus, on the other hand, will seek Hasina’s extradition to Dhaka from India to face trial. Recently, he had said that Hasina is continuing to promote violence in Bangladesh through her social media statements,” a senior diplomat said.

Hasina resigned and fled to India even as a lynch mob approached her official residence in Dhaka on August 5, 2024. She was later accused of mass murder by the interim government in Bangladesh. Less than a week ago, Mahfuj Alam, information advisor to the interim government, claimed that over 100,000 Awami League members fled to India after Hasina’s ouster.

While some believe that Friday’s meeting will bring about a thaw in the relations between the two nations, most Indian diplomats don’t agree. According to one of them, India hasn’t taken kindly to Yunus’ warming up with China and Pakistan and will certainly not make any commitment on Hasina’s extradition.

“The Indian government is under a lot of pressure, both from allies and the Opposition, over the regular attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. PM Modi will take this matter up extremely seriously with Yunus,” one of them said.