New Delhi: Eight months after Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus met for the first time on Friday (April 4), with Modi urging restraint in provocative rhetoric – while both leaders flagged their key concerns, from the former prime minister’s return to the treatment of minorities.
Bangladesh had made public its request for meeting between Yunus three weeks earlier, but India had kept its decision close to its chest till the meeting was held. Dhaka had publicly confirmed it two days earlier.
After the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) Summit concluded on Friday noon, Modi met Yunus, along with their delegations at the Shangri-La hotel in Bangkok for 40 minutes, where both kept to their talking points that they had been maintaining for the last few months.
While no concrete outcomes were publicly evident and differences persisted, the meeting itself was a significant step after months of diplomatic strain.
During the meeting that Dhaka described as “candid, productive, and constructive,” Yunus presented Modi with a photograph of the Indian prime minister awarding him a gold medal in January 2015.
He also stated that Bangladesh remained “thankful for the unwavering support of the government and people of India during our most challenging time in 1971”.
After the talks, foreign secretary Vikram Misri told reporters that Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to a “people-centric approach” in its ties with Bangladesh and reiterated support for a “democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive, and inclusive Bangladesh”.
Quoting Modi, Misri said the Indian leader had highlighted the long-standing cooperation between the two countries, stating that it had “delivered tangible benefits to people in both countries.” This appeared to be a riposte to the frequent criticism heard from Hasina’s critics that Bangladesh’s close ties with India under her regime had primarily favoured New Delhi.
According to Misri, Modi emphasised India’s desire “to forge a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh based on a spirit of pragmatism.”
“The prime minister also urged in this regard that any rhetoric that vitiates the environment is best avoided,” he added.
Modi also raised concerns over the “safety and security of minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus,” expressing India’s expectation that the Bangladeshi government would ensure their protection and conduct thorough investigations into attacks against them.
“He spoke at length on the issue, conveyed deep concern over the treatment of minorities, and informed Yunus of how it impacted our society,” Misri noted.
The official readout from Bangladesh chief adviser’s office quoted Yunus as saying that reports of attacks on minorities were “hugely inflated,” with “the bulk of them being fake news.” He reportedly invited Indian reporters to visit Bangladesh to investigate the incidents.
“The chief adviser said he has instituted an effective system for monitoring every incident of religious and gender violence in the country, and his government was taking serious actions to stop any occurrence of such incidents,” the statement added.
A separate statement from the Bangladesh foreign ministry added that Yunus advised “the Indian side for reality check against the social media propaganda”.
Yunus, who was ready with a laundry list of his own, asked about the status of the extradition request of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina. The request was submitted in December after Hasina fled to India on August 5 last year aboard a military aircraft to escape protesters marching toward her official residence.
The Nobel peace laureate also brought up the UN Human Rights Commissioner’s report on the violations in the security crackdown against the students’ movement in the last three weeks of the Hasina government, which assessed that the former prime minister had given orders to kill the protestors.
Additionally, Yunus brought up Hasina’s “false and inflammatory accusations” against the interim government, which have been circulated via social media.
“We request that the government of India take appropriate measures to restrain her from continuing to make such incendiary statements while she remains in your country,” Yunus stated, according to his office’s readout.
At the media briefing, Misri confirmed that the extradition issue was discussed but declined to elaborate. “Our spokesperson has already confirmed that we received the request. It is not appropriate for me to comment further at this stage,” he said.
While Misri didn’t mention that Yunus raised concern about Hasina’s remarks, the Bangladeshi readout claimed that Modi responded by blaming “social media for the tensions around Sheikh Hasina’s remarks”.
The Bangladesh chief adviser’s office press release noted that Modi had said twice in separate context that India’s relations was with a country, not with any individual or political organisation.
When Yunus raised concerns over the killing of Bangladeshi nationals by Indian border security forces – describing it as an emotive issue – Misri said Modi defended India’s border policies.
“The prime minister stated that strict enforcement of the law and prevention of illegal border crossings, especially at night, are necessary for maintaining border security and stability,” Misri said. He added that bilateral mechanisms between the two countries could convene as needed to review and address such concerns.
“There are a number of bilateral mechanisms between the two countries, and these mechanisms could meet as appropriate to review and take forward our ties,” he added.
Modi also underscored the importance of elections, with Misri stating that the Indian leader “shared his view that regular and inclusive elections are essential for any democracy.”
“The prime minister expressed confidence that all mutual concerns would continue to be addressed bilaterally through constructive discussions, in the interest of the long-standing and mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries,” Misri concluded.
Yunus also called for start of talks to renew the Ganges water treaty, and to finalise the Teesta water sharing agreement, which has been pending for decades. He also asked for India’s support for a free trade agreement among the members of Bimstec.
While seeking support for Bangladesh’s Bimstec chairmanship – a move Modi endorsed, Yunus also brought up the moribund Saarc in the broader context of regional cooperation. The Bangladeshi interim chief has consistently pushed for Saarc’s revival in meetings with South Asian counterparts.
