The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has stated that there is currently no update regarding a possible bilateral meeting between Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the upcoming Bimstec Summit in Bangkok.
"On the bilateral meeting you asked about, I don’t have any update to share at this point," said MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a weekly briefing in New Delhi on Friday.
His remarks came in response to a journalist’s query about the likelihood of a Yunus-Modi meeting at the summit.
Addressing a separate question, Jaiswal emphasized that India’s relationship with Bangladesh covers a broad spectrum, including development cooperation, economic matters, and connectivity.
Earlier, Bangladesh had approached India through diplomatic channels to explore the possibility of arranging a meeting between Dr. Yunus and PM Modi in Bangkok.
The 6th Bimstec Summit is set to take place in Bangkok on April 4, where Bangladesh will assume the chairmanship of the regional bloc. Thailand has held the chair since March 30, 2022, after taking over from Sri Lanka.
Bimstec (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) consists of seven member countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Bimstec Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey recently stated that the summit will yield "significant outcomes" and help set the future direction of the bloc.
Speaking to the BBC, Dr. Yunus reiterated that Bangladesh seeks to maintain its strongest-ever relationship with India. He emphasized that the fate of the two nations is deeply interconnected, and any temporary misunderstandings should not overshadow the broader bilateral ties.
"We always encourage everything to move forward in the best possible way," he said, describing India as a key business partner for Bangladesh.
Before heading to Thailand, Dr. Yunus is scheduled to visit China on March 26, where he is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on March 28 in Beijing.
