Bangladesh approached India for Modi-Yunus meeting at BIMSTEC Bangkok Summit, reports ANI

Bangladesh has approached India to arrange a meeting between Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the upcoming BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok.

Both leaders are expected to visit Thailand from 2-4 April for the sixth BIMSTEC Summit.

"We have made a diplomatic approach to India to hold a bilateral meeting between our two leaders at the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit," ANI reports quoting Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain.

In addition to the proposed meeting with Modi, Yunus is also scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on 28 March.

Earlier in February, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Adviser Touhid in Oman during the Indian Ocean Conference.

Jaishankar later posted on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Met Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain of the Interim Government of Bangladesh. Conversation was focused on our bilateral relationship, as also on BIMSTEC."

The Bangladesh foreign ministry also released a statement detailing recent diplomatic engagements between the two nations, reports ANI.

It recalled a meeting between the two sides on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September 2024 and highlighted key events such as the Foreign Office Consultations in Dhaka on 9 December 2024 and the participation of Bangladesh's Energy Adviser in India Energy Week in February 2025.

Additionally, discussions at the level of Directors General of Border Guarding Forces were scheduled for 18-20 February in New Delhi, aiming to address and resolve various border-related concerns.

Both nations acknowledged existing challenges in their bilateral relations and stressed the need for cooperation to address them.

Bangladesh's foreign affairs adviser emphasized the urgency of renewing the Ganges Water Treaty and urged India to consider holding a SAARC Standing Committee meeting.