Bangkok/New Delhi, Apr 3 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi had his first face-to-face meeting with Bangladesh Chief Advisor Mohammed Yunus during the official dinner hosted by Thailand for the BIMSTEC leaders this evening.

At the dinner hosted by Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, PM Modi was seen sitting with Mohd Yunus to his left, and Nepali PM KP Sharma Oli to his right at the Shangri-La hotel.

The meeting between the two leaders marks their first in-person meeting, ahead of bilateral talks expected to be held tomorrow, as per Bangladeshi media.

The meeting marks a significant moment as diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh have markedly soured, following the ouster of PM Sheikh Hasina and her fleeing to India on August 5, 2024. She has been staying in India since then under heavy security.

Ever since the army-backed Interim Government took office in August last year, several members of Yunus' Advisory Council have made strong anti-India statements. India has also raised concerns over the violence against and harassment of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, and the tacit support being given to Islamic radicals.

The expected bilateral talks tomorrow between PM Modi and Mohd Yunus will generate a lot of curiosity and attention.

India has also not bothered to respond to a note verbale sent by Bangladesh asking India to repatriate former PM Sheikh Hasina to Dhaka to face trial for purported crimes that the Caretaker Government has been piling up daily against her.

Relations between India and Bangladesh under the then Sheikh Hasina government were very warm and reciprocal, with many connectivity projects inked between the two sides.

Under the Yunus regime, Dhaka and Islamabad have grown very close, forgetting the 1971 war of liberation and the reasons that led to the creation of Bangladesh. Pakistan's Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is slated to visit Dhaka later this month.

UNI ANV-RN