PM Modi held a bilateral meeting with Bangladesh Chief Adviser on the sidelines of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
The backdrop of this diplomatic engagement includes Yunus's recent remarks on India's northeast and Bangladesh's overtures to China for potential investments, raising concerns in India about the security of the strategically vital Siliguri Corridor, commonly known as the "Chicken's Neck."
The high-profile meeting between the two leaders is likely to ease the prevailing tensions between the two neighbours.
The meeting in Bangkok between the two leaders has taken place after the regime changeover in Bangladesh last year, following the unprecedented student protests over the reservation, which also saw the downfall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government in the country.
It is also the second high-profile meeting between the leaders of the two neighboring countries this year. In February this year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Bangladesh Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain in Oman's Muscat, on the sidelines of the 8th Indian Ocean Conference.
Following the regime change in Dhaka, the relations between India and Bangladesh nosedived with New Delhi stressing over Dhaka to ensure the safety of the minorities in the country, particularly Hindus. On the other hand, there is also bitterness between the two neighboring nations over former Bangladesh PM Hasina, who has sought refuge in India after her government collapsed last year in August.
Besides, Bangladesh also objected to India's border fencing project within its own territory, following which the two countries also summoned their envoys in their respective capitals to convey their disagreements.
Recently, Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Jashimuddin stated the strain in the relations between India and Bangladesh could be overcome if the meeting between Modi and Yunus takes place.
Also, Modi recently wished Yunus and Bangladeshi people on Eid-ul-Fitr, while stressing for strong bonds between the two countries.
"May the bonds of friendship among our countries grow stronger," Modi said. As the blessed month of Ramadan comes to a close, Modi said he takes this moment to "extend warm greetings and felicitations to Dr Yunus and the people of Bangladesh on the joyous occasion of the festival of Eid ul-Fitr."
Dismissing the assertion while speaking at the 20th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting in Thailand where Bangladeshi representatives were also present, Jaishankar said cooperation was an integrated outlook and not one subject to cherry-picking.
“We have the longest coastline in the Bay of Bengal, spanning almost 6,500 km. India shares borders not only with the five BIMSTEC members, connecting most of them, but also provides much of the interface between the Indian subcontinent and the ASEAN grouping,” the minister said.
India’s north-eastern region was emerging as a connectivity hub for the BIMSTEC members, having in place a myriad network of roads, railways, waterways grids and pipelines, he said.
The minister said countries should work together on all important issues, rather than picking only the ones that suited their interests.
During his China visit, Yunus had urged Beijing to extend its economic influence to Bangladesh, controversially mentioning India’s north-eastern states. “The seven eastern states of India are called the seven sisters. They are a landlocked region and have no way to reach out to the Indian Ocean,” he had said.
Calling Bangladesh as the “only guardian of the Indian Ocean” in the region, Yunus had said this could be a huge opportunity and could be an extension of the Chinese economy.
