New Delhi, April 4: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh’s interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus held their first face-to-face meeting in Bangkok on Friday, amid mounting tensions between the two nations since the removal of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August last year.
The bilateral talks took place on the sidelines of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), marking a significant diplomatic moment following months of political uncertainty and strained ties.
Yunus’s recent outreach to China and comments regarding India’s northeastern region have drawn scrutiny in New Delhi, especially concerning the Siliguri Corridor — a narrow stretch of land critical to India’s connectivity with its northeastern states. The area, often referred to as the “Chicken’s Neck,” has seen heightened security interest amid shifting dynamics in Dhaka.
Friday’s meeting follows months of diplomatic silence and signals a possible reset in India-Bangladesh relations. “May the bonds of friendship among our countries grow stronger,” Modi said in a recent Eid-ul-Fitr message to Yunus, adding, “I extend warm greetings and felicitations to Dr Yunus and the people of Bangladesh on the joyous occasion.”
This is the second top-level engagement between the two countries this year. In February, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Bangladesh Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain in Muscat during the 8th Indian Ocean Conference.
Since the fall of the Hasina government — triggered by unprecedented student-led protests over reservation policy — relations between New Delhi and Dhaka have deteriorated. India has repeatedly raised concerns about the safety of religious minorities in Bangladesh, particularly Hindus, while Dhaka has objected to India’s construction of border fencing within disputed areas.
The diplomatic discord intensified further when both nations summoned each other’s envoys following these disputes. Tensions were also aggravated by reports that Hasina had taken refuge in India, a development that has fueled speculation in Dhaka.
Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Md Jashimuddin had earlier stated that dialogue at the highest level could help bridge differences. “The meeting between Modi and Yunus can open a path to stabilizing ties,” he said.
While no joint statement followed Friday’s engagement, the dialogue itself signals a potential thaw in a diplomatic relationship under pressure from regional rivalries, internal political shifts, and border sensitivities.
