Bangladesh Relents, Mohammad Yunus Requests Meeting with PM Modi; Foreign Minister Responds
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Chief Advisor of Bangladesh's interim government Mohammad Yunus expressed his desire to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Bangladesh has requested India for a meeting between the two leaders. This information was given by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar himself. S Jaishankar told in a parliamentary committee meeting that the request for a meeting between the head of Bangladesh's interim government Mohammad Yunus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being considered in the upcoming regional group BIMSTEC Summit.
At the first meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Foreign Affairs this year, several MPs expressed concern over the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh and asked what steps India was taking in this regard. S Jaishankar told the members that the interim government in Dhaka has claimed that the attacks on Hindus were "politically motivated". Foreign Minister S Jaishankar briefed the MPs on relations with Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. He said that he would talk about Pakistan and China separately later.
S Jaishankar also said in the meeting that SAARC is inactive due to Pakistan's attitude. At the same time, India is trying to strengthen BIMSTEC. Sources said that Prime Minister Modi may attend the BIMSTEC summit to be held in Bangkok from 2 to 4 April, but he did not confirm this visit in the meeting.
Both leaders may meet: Foreign Minister
He also informed in the meeting that Prime Minister Modi will visit Sri Lanka next month. Sources said that when asked whether Modi will meet Muhammad Yunus during the BIMSTEC summit and hold bilateral meetings with him, Jaishankar did not make any commitment and said that it is being considered. Several MPs including KC Venugopal, Manish Tewari (both Congress), Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena-UBT) and Mukul Wasnik (Congress) raised the issue of targeted killings of Hindus and asked the Foreign Minister what the government is doing to stop them.
