PM Modi, Yunus seated together at BIMSTEC dinner amid India-Bangladesh diplomatic strains (WATCH)

PM Modi and Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus were seated together at a BIMSTEC dinner in Thailand amid strained India-Bangladesh ties.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus were seated together at a dinner hosted by Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra for leaders of the BIMSTEC grouping in Bangkok on Thursday.

Photographs shared by Yunus’ office showed the Bangladesh Chief Adviser sitting next to Modi at the event, which was held at Hotel Shangri-La on the banks of the Chao Phraya River.

The seating arrangement comes amid reports that Modi and Yunus are likely to meet on Friday on the sidelines of the sixth summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

Strained India-Bangladesh Ties

India-Bangladesh relations have experienced a downturn since Yunus’ interim government took charge following the ouster of then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. New Delhi has expressed concerns over increasing violence targeting Hindus and the rise of hardline Islamist forces in Bangladesh under the current administration.

Yunus’ recent visit to China further fueled tensions, as he controversially called for greater Chinese economic involvement in Bangladesh. He suggested that India’s landlocked northeastern states could benefit from Bangladesh’s access to the ocean, implying that Dhaka could play a crucial role in extending Beijing’s economic influence in the region.

Yunus’ Controversial China Remarks

During his trip to China last week, Yunus stated that India’s seven northeastern states are landlocked and lack direct access to the ocean. Referring to Bangladesh as the “only guardian of the ocean” in the region, he suggested that this could serve as an opportunity for economic integration with China.

His remarks were met with discontent in India, with officials viewing them as an indication of a strategic shift in Bangladesh’s foreign policy. Amid growing diplomatic unease, Bangladeshi officials have since issued clarifications on Yunus’ statement, attempting to downplay its implications.