Bangkok, April 4, 2025 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Bangladesh’s interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Friday, marking their first bilateral talks since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. Held on the sidelines of the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand, the 40-minute discussion addressed rising tensions, with Modi pressing India’s concerns over the safety of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, as reported by Hindustan Times.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, briefing the media post-meeting, confirmed Modi highlighted “attacks on minorities, including Hindus,” urging Yunus to curb inflammatory rhetoric that could worsen ties. The talks followed months of strain after Hasina fled to India amid a student-led uprising, with over 2,374 incidents of violence against minorities reported since August 2024 (MEA, Feb 2025). Modi reiterated India’s support for a “democratic, stable, and progressive Bangladesh,” signaling a desire for constructive relations despite hosting Hasina, now a political refugee in Delhi.
Yunus, a Nobel laureate leading Bangladesh’s caretaker government, gifted Modi a throwback photo from 2015—Modi awarding him at the Indian Science Congress—a nod to past goodwill. Sources say Yunus raised trade continuity and sought clarity on Hasina’s status, but no breakthroughs emerged. Modi countered Yunus’s recent claim in China—calling Bangladesh the Northeast’s “ocean guardian”—by emphasizing India’s 6,500-km Bay of Bengal coastline and BIMSTEC’s connectivity role, a point Jaishankar had earlier dubbed “cherry-picking” (NDTV, April 2).
The meeting, requested by Dhaka, comes as Bangladesh’s $12 billion trade with India (DGFT, 2024) hangs in balance, with Yunus’s regime tilting toward China—$230 million invested since August (Hindustan Times, March 25). India’s $4.5 billion aid since 2014 (MEA) underscores its stake, yet minority safety remains a flashpoint. Misri noted Modi’s call for a “positive environment,” reflecting India’s firm yet diplomatic push to stabilize ties amid regional flux.
