India News

Teesta pact, Sheikh Hasina extradition discussed in PM Modi-Muhammad Yunus meet

It was a historic meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in Bangkok on Friday. In the first ‘under-one-roof’ meeting, the two leaders met for nearly half an hour, according to reports. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral and Technical Cooperation) Summit meeting of the leaders.

VIDEO | Thailand: PM Modi (@narendramodi) hold talks with Bangladesh interim govt’s chief adviser Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of BIMSTEC Sumit in Bangkok. (Source: Third Party) (Full video available on PTI Videos- https://t.co/dv5TRARJn4) pic.twitter.com/zzrPeyeSWj — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 4, 2025

PTI has reported that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were also present during the meeting.

Discussions ranged from sharing Teesta to extraditing Sheikh Hasina

During the meeting, Muhammad Yunus reportedly raised the issue of Sheikh Hasina’s extradition with PM Modi. Yunus has been accusing Hasina of causing political instability in Bangladesh while staying in India. In the past, Yunus has claimed that his administration has sent “formal letters” to New Delhi seeking Sheikh Hasina’s extradition to face a legal trial in Bangladesh. However, he has received no official response from India, he has alleged in the past.

Since he took charge as Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, Yunus has also been emphasising the need to resolve the Teesta water-sharing treaty with India promptly. This issue was reportedly raised in the meeting with PM Modi in Bangkok today. Bangladesh has traditionally worked with India on water-sharing agreements for the Teesta under Sheikh Hasina. However, the situation has now changed, and Teesta holds a key role in reshaping Bangladesh-India ties.

Protect minorities: PM Modi tells Yunus

The Ministry of External Affairs has said in a statement that PM Modi has urged Yunus to ensure the protection of minorities in Bangladesh and also investigate the atrocities committed against them. In the meeting, PM Modi underlined India’s concerns on safety and security of Hindus in Bangladesh. He focused on India’s desire to forge a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said. He added that PM Modi reiterated India’s support for democratic, stable, peaceful, inclusive Bangladesh in the meeting with Muhammad Yunus.

India-Bangladesh ties nosedived under Yunus

The relations between the two countries have been deteriorating since the ouster of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. New Delhi has been raising concerns over the violence targeting Hindus and the rise of hardline Islamist forces in Bangladesh. Furthermore, just last month, Yunus irked India by saying that the seven northeast Indian states are a landlocked region and have no way to reach the ocean, and that Bangladesh is the “only guardian of the ocean” in the region.

These comments were made during his visit to China last week for the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference, when Yunus urged Beijing to extend its economic influence to Bangladesh, controversially mentioning that India’s northeastern states being landlocked could prove to be an opportunity. He added that this could be an extension of the Chinese economy. New Delhi has slammed the remarks and Bangladesh officials have issued since then issued a clarification on Yunus’ statement.

PM Modi meets Thai PM and Myanmar’s Senior General

During his two-day state visit to Thailand, PM Modi held delegation-level talks with his Thai counterpart, Paetongtarn Shinawatra. After the meeting with Shinawatra, PM said that India and Thailand’s centuries-old relations are connected through their deep cultural and spiritual ties. “The spread of Buddhism has connected our people. From Ayutthaya to Nalanda, there has been an exchange of intellectuals. The tales of Ramayana are a part of Thai people’s lives,” ANI quoted PM Modi as saying. He further said that the influences of Sanskrit and Pali are reflected in language and traditions even today. “I am grateful to the Thailand government that during my visit, a commemorative stamp, based on Ramayana mural paintings from the 18th Century, was issued,” PM added.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra presented PM Modi with the sacred scripture ‘World Tipitaka’.

PM Modi also met Myanmar’s Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and assured him that India was doing everything possible to assist the nation in recovering from the aftermath of a massive earthquake, according to PTI reports. This is the first interaction between PM Modi and Senior General Min, who came to power in a military coup in February 2021.

Taking to X, PM Modi wrote: “Met Senior General Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok. Once again expressed condolences on the loss of lives and damage to property in the wake of the recent earthquake. India is doing whatever is possible to assist our sisters and brothers of Myanmar in this critical time.”

“We also discussed bilateral relations between India and Myanmar, particularly in sectors like connectivity, capacity building, infrastructure development and more,” PM Modi said.