Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin on Tuesday said Dhaka is ready to see a bilateral meeting between Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the upcoming Bimstec Summit and is expecting a positive response from Delhi.
"On our part, we are ready (for the talks). We will be waiting," he said, adding that Bangladesh believes that if the meeting takes place, tensions in the relationship will be eased.
He said that the strain in relations between Bangladesh and India could be overcome if a bilateral meeting is held between Yunus and Modi. He told these at a media briefing.
Regarding Bangladesh's proposal for a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the upcoming Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) summit in Thailand, Jashim Uddin said Bangladesh places high importance on its relations with all countries.
On Wednesday, Bangladesh approached India through the diplomatic channel to arrange a meeting on the sidelines of the upcoming Bimstec Summit in Bangkok.
However, on 21 March, Indian Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said there was no update on whether the bilateral meeting would take place.
He added that Bangladesh-India relations encompass various areas, including development cooperation, economic matters, and connectivity.
The meeting is considered significant given the current state of relations between the present government and India.
Earlier, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India was considering the meeting.
Prof Yunus, who is scheduled to visit Thailand for the Bimstec Summit from 2-4 April, has reiterated Bangladesh's commitment to maintaining strong ties with India.
He stated that Bangladesh's relationship with India should be the "best relationship ever" as the two countries are closely interconnected.
He dismissed concerns over "fake news" affecting bilateral ties and described India as a key business partner.
