Bangladesh (Commonwealth Union)_ The 6th Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is scheduled for April 4 in Bangkok, Thailand. The event will focus on the theme “Prosperous, Resilient, and Open BIMSTEC,” as announced by the BIMSTEC Secretariat. This summit, taking place three years after the 5th Summit in Colombo, which was held virtually in 2022, marks an important gathering for the organization. The summit, which is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, will bring together leaders from Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan, and Thailand to discuss multi-sectoral cooperation in the Bay of Bengal region. Since its founding in June 1997, BIMSTEC has hosted five previous summits: in Bangkok (2004); New Delhi (2008); Nay Pyi Taw (2014); Kathmandu (2018); and Colombo (2022).
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Accordingly, a senior Bangladeshi official indicated on Wednesday that there is a high possibility of a meeting between Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the upcoming Bimstec Summit in Bangkok. Prime Minister Modi will travel to Thailand on Thursday for the 6th Bimstec Summit, where he is expected to engage with his Thai counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra. According to Khalilur Rahman, the High Representative to Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser for the Rohingya issue and other key matters, Bangladesh has formally requested a meeting between Yunus and Modi. Rahman expressed optimism, saying that there are reasonable grounds to remain hopeful about the potential meeting on the summit’s sidelines.
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Sources from both Dhaka and New Delhi did not rule out the possibility of talks between the two leaders, with Dhaka’s media also reporting that discussions between Yunus and Modi could take place. The prospect of the meeting comes amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh, particularly following changes in Bangladesh’s leadership. Since Yunus assumed the role of Chief Adviser after the August 2024 political shift, bilateral relations have been strained, especially in light of India’s concerns over violence targeting Hindus in Bangladesh and the growing influence of hardline Islamist forces.
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Additionally, recently, Yunus has stirred controversy during his visit to China, where he met with President Xi Jinping and signed several agreements. In a statement that was widely discussed on social media, Yunus remarked that the northeastern states of India, often referred to as the “Seven Sisters,” could present an opportunity for Chinese economic expansion, as they are landlocked and have limited access to the ocean. These comments were met with sharp criticism in India, with political leaders labeling them as shameful and provocative. However, Rahman defended Yunus, asserting that the interpretation of his remarks was incorrect. “He made the statement with honest intentions. If people interpret it differently, we cannot prevent it,” Rahman explained at a media briefing in Dhaka.
The upcoming Bimstec Summit marks the first physical meeting of Bimstec leaders since 2018, following the virtual summit held in Colombo in March 2022. One of the key events on the summit’s agenda is the signing of an Agreement on Maritime Cooperation, which is expected to strengthen regional collaboration. As the summit draws near, everyone’s focus will be on the possibility of a meeting between Yunus and Modi, which could provide a chance to tackle ongoing issues and explore future collaboration between the two neighboring countries.
