Bangladesh's version of Modi-Yunus meet ‘mischievous and politically motivated'

The pushback comes after Yunus’s press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, claimed in a Facebook post that the Nobel laureate had brought up the issue of extraditing ousted leader Sheikh Hasina during Friday’s meeting in Bangkok—and that the "response was not negative".

Sources in New Delhi dismissed the suggestion, asserting there was no basis to the claim and calling it an attempt that undermines the seriousness and intent of the interim Bangladeshi administration.

Hasina, who fled Bangladesh on August 5 last year following a wave of anti-government protests, has been staying in Delhi since.

The interim government had formally sought her extradition, but Indian officials say there has been no response from New Delhi so far.

Officials familiar with the talks said that even the portrayal of PM Modi’s remarks about Yunus’s ties with the previous government was inaccurate.

Instead, the Prime Minister is said to have stressed the fundamental role of elections in any democracy and warned that further delays in holding them could hurt Yunus’s credibility.

India also pushed back against the suggestion from Bangladesh that reports of violence against minorities were exaggerated online.

“That contention contradicts facts on the ground,” a source said, pointing to verified incidents that raised concern in India.

During the meeting, Modi is understood to have conveyed India’s “deep concerns” over the safety of Hindus and other minority communities in Bangladesh.

He urged that Dhaka must investigate incidents of violence and ensure accountability.

According to Alam’s Facebook post, Modi was “very respectful” towards Yunus and praised his work during their interaction.

The Indian leader reportedly said several times that India’s ties with Bangladesh are rooted in its people, not any one party or individual.

Quoting Yunus, Alam said the chief advisor had expressed a desire for “the best of relationships” with India, anchored in “fairness, equity and mutual respect”.

In the meeting, held on the sidelines of the sixth Bimstec summit in Bangkok, Modi also highlighted the progress in India-Bangladesh ties since 2014, calling it a “deep friendship between our societies and people.”

He cautioned that rhetoric which could inflame tensions should be avoided.