Dr. Yunus and Modi Meet at BIMSTEC Official Dinner in Bangkok

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra hosted an official dinner for the leaders of BIMSTEC on Thursday, where Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, Prof. Muhammad Yunus, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met for the first time. The dinner, held at the Grand Ballroom of the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok, saw a warm exchange of pleasantries among the BIMSTEC leaders. The Thai Prime Minister welcomed the gathering and gave a brief speech, followed by a toast to the success of the summit.

Dr. Yunus was also seen posing for a photograph with Thai Prime Minister Shinawatra during the event. The Chief Adviser had arrived in Thailand earlier that day, landing in Bangkok at 12 pm local time via a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight. He was welcomed by Thai Minister in Attendance Jiraporn Sindhuprai at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The official dinner marked an important moment ahead of the 6th BIMSTEC Summit, where Dr. Yunus is set to hold key meetings with various leaders, including Prime Minister Modi, Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay, and Thai Prime Minister Shinawatra. On the sidelines of the summit, Dr. Yunus will discuss ways to strengthen regional cooperation, a key agenda for Bangladesh as it prepares to assume the BIMSTEC chairmanship for the next two years.

Indian Prime Minister Modi, in a statement before his departure, expressed his eagerness to meet with fellow leaders and focus on fostering stronger collaboration among BIMSTEC countries. "I look forward to engaging with my counterparts to enhance our regional ties, with the shared interests of our peoples in mind," Modi said.

This meeting marks a significant diplomatic development between India and Bangladesh, especially following last year’s political changes in Bangladesh. If Dr. Yunus and Modi hold talks during the summit, it will be the first high-level engagement between the two leaders since the formation of Bangladesh's interim government under Dr. Yunus in August 2024.

BIMSTEC Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey is also expected to meet Dr. Yunus, further underscoring the importance of this summit for Bangladesh.

The 6th BIMSTEC Summit, scheduled for April 4, 2025, is seen as pivotal for Bangladesh as it looks to present a "just and inclusive" image of itself within the South and Southeast Asian regions. Dr. Yunus, ahead of the summit, delivered a keynote speech titled “BIMSTEC Young Generation Forum: Where the Future Meets” on Thursday.

This year’s summit theme, “Prosperous, Resilient, and Open BIMSTEC,” aims to foster cooperation among the member countries to address shared challenges in security and development. According to the BIMSTEC Secretariat, the summit will reinvigorate efforts to realize a prosperous and resilient regional bloc.

Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary, Md. Jashim Uddin, emphasized that the summit will "strengthen and deepen" Bangladesh’s relations with other BIMSTEC member states and contribute to regional peace and development. “This summit marks a new chapter for Bangladesh in the regional arena,” he added, expressing hopes for a successful outcome.