Delhi, 4 April (H.S.): On Thursday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dined with Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Nepal PM K P Sharma Oli during a dinner hosted by Thailand's PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra for BIMSTEC leaders in Bangkok.

While tensions have arisen between India and Bangladesh due to issues like violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh and India granting asylum to Sheikh Hasina, Bangladeshi officials had sought a bilateral meeting to address these concerns. However, Modi's itinerary did not include this meeting.

Despite the strains in relations, with Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary Md. Jashim Uddin emphasizing their readiness for discussions, they continue to await a response from India. There are indications that Modi could meet Yunus on Friday during the summit's proceedings, which may help ease current tensions between the two nations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar