NEW DELHI: India’s prime minister flew to Bangkok on Thursday (Apr 3) for a regional summit and talks with his Thai counterpart, but made no mention of a widely speculated meeting with Bangladesh’s leader.
Narendra Modi said he would meet with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and attend the BIMSTEC grouping of the seven nations on the Bay of Bengal.
Top representatives of BIMSTEC members – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand – are expected to attend the Bangkok summit.
Bangladeshi media have widely speculated that Modi and Muhammad Yunus will meet in a bid to ease tensions after tit-for-tat barbs between top figures from both governments.
Yunus took charge of Bangladesh in August 2024 after India’s old ally Sheikh Hasina was ousted as prime minister by a student-led uprising and fled to New Delhi.
India was the biggest benefactor of Hasina’s government, and her overthrow sent relations into a tailspin.
Hasina, who remains in India, has defied extradition requests from Bangladesh to face charges including mass murder.
Yunus had sought a meeting with Modi in a bid to reset to relations, with Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar saying the request was “under review”.
Nepali media have said Modi is also expected to meet with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, which would be the first since Kathmandu’s leader returned to power last year. India has not confirmed the meeting.
Modi said he will then head to Sri Lanka for talks with leftist President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, as Colombo grapples with the competing interests of its powerful northern neighbour and China.
Sri Lanka’s presidential office has said Modi will be the first foreign head of government to visit the island nation under the new administration.
Dissanayake’s first foreign visit after his election last year was to New Delhi.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/india-narendra-modi-bangkok-thailand-bimstec-summit-5041721
