Yunus-Modi meeting on the cards?

Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus is expected to attend the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, where he may have his first in-person meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines, according to media reports.

Thailand will host the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit on April 2-4, with a ministerial-level meeting scheduled for April 3. During the summit, Bangladesh will formally assume the chairmanship of BIMSTEC, a role that positions it at the forefront of regional cooperation efforts.

Since Prof. Yunus took charge of Bangladesh’s interim government following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led administration on August 5 last year, there has been persistent speculation about a meeting between him and Indian Prime Minister Modi. 

In a recent interview with BBC Bangla, Prof. Yunus underscored the importance of Bangladesh-India relations. He emphasized that the two nations’ futures are intertwined and must move forward together.

“We are always encouraging everything to happen in the best possible way,” he said, dismissing concerns fueled by misleading reports and asserting that such misinformation does not reflect the true nature of Bangladesh-India ties.

Chief Adviser Yunus also reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening bilateral relations. “We will continue to do it,” he said, calling India an important economic and strategic ally for Bangladesh.