India's Modi meets Bangladesh's Yunus in first since regime change
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The two leaders' meeting came on the sidelines of the sixth BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, after tensions between the two countries rose following the ousting of Sheikh Hasina.
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India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh leader Muhammad Yunus shake hands at a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the sixth BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, April 4, 2025. (Facebook/ Muhammad Yunus)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the leader of neighboring Bangladesh Muhammad Yunus on Friday, according to India's government, marking their first encounter since protests in Dhaka removed New Delhi's long-standing ally Sheikh Hasina.
The meeting between the Indian president and the Bangladeshi leader happened on the sidelines of a regional summit in Thailand on Thursday, where the two presidents had dinner along with other regional leaders from the BIMSTEC bloc. The Bangladeshi leader published pictures of him shaking hands with PM Modi on social media
The bilateral sit-down on Friday was the first since relations frayed between the neighboring nations after Yunus took charge of Bangladesh in August 2024 following the ousting of India's old ally Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by a student-led uprising, which led her to flee to New Delhi.
India was the biggest benefactor of Hasina's government, and her overthrow sent relations between the two countries into turmoil, leading to tensions between India and Bangladesh that have prompted a number of tit-for-tats between senior figures from both governments.
Bangladesh seeks extradition of ousted PM from India for 'massacres'
Bangladesh has requested India's assistance in facilitating the extradition of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Dhaka, Bangladesh's Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain told reporters on Monday, December 23.
"We sent a note verbale (diplomatic message) to the Indian government saying that the Bangladesh government wants her (Hasina) back here for the judicial process," the minister said, cited by the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangsta (BSS) news agency.
Sheikh Hasina, 77, fled to India on August 5 following the student-led uprising against oppression during her 15-year rule, which left over 700 dead and led to a transitional government. In Dhaka, she faces charges including genocide, with an existing extradition treaty between Bangladesh and India potentially facilitating her return.
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who led Bangladesh's interim government since August 8, urged India to address tensions caused by Sheikh Hasina's stay, which New Delhi labeled temporary.
