PM Modi issues veiled warning to Muhammad Yunus in first meeting since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster

At Dhaka’s insistence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Friday on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand. As per the information revealed after the meeting, PM Modi firmly advised Yunus to avoid rhetoric that strain diplomatic ties. He also pressed Yunus to ensure the safety of the Bangladeshi Hindu community in an anarchy-gripped nation.

During the meeting, PM Modi and Yunus had a firm handshake before the two leaders sat down for bilateral talks.

As per the officials, PM Modi conveyed to Yunus the need for a positive and constructive relationship between the two nations.

During the press briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, “The PM also urged that any rhetoric that vitiates the environment is best avoided.”

The Foreign Secretary added, “PM Modi reiterated India’s support for a democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive, and inclusive Bangladesh. He underlined to Prof Yunus India’s desire to forge a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh.”

Apart from New Delhi’s warning to Bangladesh on the safety of the Hindus, the issue of border security was also a key topic in the discussion. Misri told reporters that PM Modi stressed the importance of strict enforcement of the law to prevent illegal crossings.

Misri added, “The PM also underlined India’s concerns over the safety and security of minorities, including Hindus in Bangladesh.”

It is pertinent to note that diplomatic relations between the two nations have plummeted since the violent ouster of Bangladesh’s elected PM, Sheikh Hasina, in August last year. Despite Yunus harming bilateral ties, PM Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthening relations with Bangladesh.

Strikingly, PM Modi’s veiled warning to Yunus comes amid the raging controversy over the latter’s contentious remarks on India’s Northeast. During his four-day visit to China, Yunus brazenly invited China to expand its economic influence into India’s northeastern states. His anti-India remarks drew sharp criticism from Indian politicians across party lines.

Yunus had brazenly said, “The seven states of the eastern part of India, called seven sisters they are landlocked. They have no way to reach out to the ocean. We are the only guardian of the ocean for all this region. So this could be an extension of the Chinese economy.”

Also Read: Tulsi Gabbard Calls Out Bangladesh for Persecution of Hindus, Dhaka Responds with Denial

On its part, the disgraced Nobel laureate turned Bangladesh’s current tyrant, Yunus, raised the extradition of ousted PM Sheikh Hasina who was forced to flee Bangladesh for her safety and find refuge in India. Reportedly, Yunus also raised the issue of the Ganga water treaty.

The Bangladeshi side has dubbed the PM Modi Yunus meeting as “constructive”, “productive” and “fruitful”.

The press secretary of Muhammed Yunus said, “The leaders held talks on issues concerning both the nations. Yunus also raised the issue of the extradition of Sheikh Hasina and the incendiary remarks made by her from India.”

Is PM Modi Yunus meeting a redux of chances to Nawaz Sharif?

While PM Modi Yunus meeting may not sit well with a large section of political analysts and commentators in India, especially in the wake of intensified religious persecution of the Bangladeshi Hindus, the meeting could be seen as a redux of PM Modi’s uncanny diplomatic outreach to then Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif.

Despite its futility, PM Modi had earlier given Nawaz Sharif a chance to break the vicious cycle of betraying India, following which Pakistan saw India’s coldest response in the independent history of both nations.

With India, the pivotal player that materialised Bangladesh’s Independence, the Modi administration has so far refrained from using coercive or diplomatically stern positioning against Dhaka, let alone mulling over the idea of kinetic action. Be as it may, Yunus may be running short of time to act wisely.