Later this month, PM Modi is expected to visit New York, where he will also speak at an event held by the UN General Assembly.
PM Modi is expected to have a few bilateral meetings while in the country. Reports state that the prime minister is not anticipated to meet Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh’s interim administration.
According to Dhaka Tribune, Bangladesh formally requested a meeting between Yunus and PM Modi from India during the second week of September. But given Yunus’s recent statements, the meeting doesn’t appear likely.
Yunus stated, “The way forward is for India to come out of the narrative. The narrative is that everybody is Islamist, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is Islamist, and everyone else is Islamist and will make this country into Afghanistan. And Bangladesh is in safe hands with Sheikh Hasina at the helm only. India is captivated by this narrative. India has to come out of this narrative. Bangladesh, like any other nation, is another neighbour.”
In a phone chat with Yunus on August 16, the Prime Minister reiterated India’s backing for a democratic, stable, peaceful, and forward-thinking Bangladesh. In response, Yunus pledged that the Interim Government will give the safety and security of Hindus and all other minority groups in Bangladesh top priority.
Nevertheless, it seems that Yunus’s latest “narrative” remark has not gone over well in New Delhi.
Yunus urged New Delhi to give up the myth that Hasina’s leadership is the only thing that can guarantee stability in the nation.