Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Bangladesh to bring perpetrators of atrocities against Hindus and minorities to justice.
PM Modi raised the issue of their safety and welfare during his first bilateral meeting with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Friday.
The Prime Minister urged Yunus and the interim government to avoid rhetoric that ‘vitiates’ the atmosphere between the two countries.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri shared details of the meeting during a special briefing in Bangkok.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 6th BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok.
It came amid rising tensions between New Delhi and Dhaka following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government last year.
The meeting lasted around 45 minutes.
A source familiar with the talks said that PM Modi focused on the safety of minorities in Bangladesh. He also pushed for the continuation of current bilateral mechanisms and stressed the need for strict enforcement of border laws.
Misri said, “The Prime Minister underlined India’s concerns related to the safety and security of minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus.”
The Prime Minister also expected Bangladesh to investigate all cases of atrocities committed against minorities.
PM Modi highlighted the importance of preventing illegal border crossings, especially at night. He called for law enforcement to maintain border stability.
Prime Minister Modi also told Yunus, “Any rhetoric that vitiates the environment is best avoided.”
PM Modi reiterated India’s support for a democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive, and inclusive Bangladesh.
Yunus raised the issue of Hasina’s extradition during the talks.
This was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders, though they spoke over the phone last year.
Reports said Dhaka had requested the meeting. It followed Yunus’s first foreign visit to China, skipping the tradition of visiting India first.
In China, Yunus claimed Bangladesh was the region’s ‘only guardian’ of the ocean and called India’s Northeast ‘landlocked’.
He urged Beijing to view Bangladesh as an extension of the Chinese economy. His remarks triggered political backlash in India’s Northeast.
Relations between India and Bangladesh have remained tense since Hasina fled to India in August last year during anti-government protests.
Yunus’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam said Yunus discussed Hasina’s extradition with Modi. Dhaka sees her presence in India as a major irritant.
India acknowledged the request in December 2024 and said it was examining it under the extradition treaty. Yunus has accused Hasina of using ‘incendiary’ rhetoric from India to destabilize Bangladesh.
India has also raised concerns over attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.
While Dhaka initially denied the scale, it later confirmed that over 2,000 cases were under investigation.
PM Modi and Yunus also discussed the renewal of the Ganges Water Treaty, which ends in December 2026, and the ongoing Teesta River water-sharing dispute.
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