Will PM Modi Meet Bangladesh’s Yunus At BIMSTEC Summit In November?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh’s Chief adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus are expected to have their first bilateral meeting at the upcoming BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit in Thailand, which is likely scheduled for November.

Foreign adviser Md. Touhid Hossain mentioned at a media briefing that the bilateral meeting is anticipated to occur during the summit, tentatively set for next month.

BIMSTEC Summit

The chief adviser is set to attend the BIMSTEC Summit, which was originally planned for September 4 but has since been postponed. Thailand will host the next summit, while Bangladesh will take over as the chair of BIMSTEC.

Hossain clarified that no meeting between the leaders of Bangladesh and India occurred during the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York due to scheduling conflicts.

When discussing his meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of the UNGA, Hossain stated that both parties emphasized the importance of maintaining strong relations between the neighboring countries. He observed that they agreed on the necessity of establishing good relations for the benefit of both peoples.

Relations between Dhaka and New Delhi

The foreign adviser also mentioned that they talked about normalizing the visa process for Bangladeshi citizens traveling to India. He relayed that Jaishankar expressed hope for the swift restoration of the visa system.

Additionally, Hossain noted that they reviewed Bangladesh’s internal security situation, assuring Jaishankar that the security conditions have improved significantly and that no foreign nations have raised concerns recently.

Relations between Dhaka and New Delhi have been tense since the fall of the previous Awami League government, during which ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sought refuge in India after leaving the country.

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