PM Modi, Bangladesh’s Yunus seated together at BIMSTEC dinner as ‘Northeast landlocked’ row simmers: Watch video

Amid the ongoing controversy over Bangladesh’s Muhammad Yunus calling India’s Northeast “landlocked,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yunus were seen seated together at the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) dinner in Bangkok, Thailand.

The moment, captured in videos, comes as diplomatic tensions simmer between the two nations over the remarks, sparking speculation that a bilateral meeting could be planned on the sidelines of the sixth summit of the leaders of the BIMSTEC.

In the video, the two leaders are seen sitting together at the dinner table but no conversation was caught between the two.

Muhammad Yunus’ office also shared photographs of the Bangladesh Chief Adviser seated next to PM Modi at Hotel Shangri-La on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. Also Read | Bangladesh responds to Jaishankar’s ‘make up your mind’ on ties comment: ‘Our minority issue isn’t India’s concern’

Ties between Bangladesh and India

The ties between India and Bangladesh have seen a slump amid Delhi's concerns over the violence targeting Hindus and a rise of hardline Islamist forces there since former exiled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted.

The relationship between the two countries deteriorated after Muhammad Yunus controversially brought in the mention of Northeast states, terming them ‘landlocked’.

The Bangladeshi chief adviser said the seven northeastern states of India are a ‘landlocked’ region and have no way to reach out to the ocean. Calling Bangladesh the “only guardian of the ocean” in the region, he said this could be a huge opportunity and could be an extension of the Chinese economy.

In a statement, EAM Jaishankar strongly countered Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus over his ‘Northeast landlocked’, stating that “cooperation is not about cherry-picking.”

“We are conscious that our cooperation and facilitation are an essential prerequisite for the smooth flow of goods, services and people in this larger geography. Keeping this geo-strategic factor in mind, we have devoted increasing energies and attention to the strengthening of BIMSTEC in the last decade,” he said.