Yunus, Modi Likely to Meet at BIMSTEC Summit

There is a strong likelihood that Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a bilateral meeting during the upcoming BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand.

"We have officially requested the meeting, and we have reasonable grounds to be optimistic. The chances of this meeting taking place are high," said Khalilur Rahman, High Representative to the Chief Adviser, during a media briefing at the Foreign Service Academy.

The briefing was also attended by Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam and Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder.

This would be their first face-to-face meeting since the formation of the interim government led by Dr. Yunus on August 8 last year. The Chief Adviser is set to depart for Bangkok on April 3 to attend the Summit.

Prior to the Summit, Bangladesh had approached India through diplomatic channels to arrange a meeting between Dr. Yunus and Prime Minister Modi. Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin recently stated that the meeting could play a significant role in addressing the current strain in relations between Bangladesh and India.

Although a meeting with Prof. Yunus is not currently listed in Prime Minister Modi’s official BIMSTEC schedule, diplomatic sources remain hopeful.

In a gesture of goodwill, Indian Prime Minister Modi extended his Eid-ul-Fitr greetings to Dr. Yunus and the people of Bangladesh, emphasizing the importance of strengthening ties between the two nations.

"May the bonds of friendship among our countries continue to grow stronger," Modi said in his message, which was shared by Dr. Yunus’ press wing on Monday night. The Prime Minister also conveyed his warm wishes as Ramadan came to a close, expressing hopes for a joyous Eid al-Fitr celebration in Bangladesh.