PM Modi, Bangladesh’s Yunus Discuss Extradition of Sheikh Hasina, Minority Safety, and Border Security

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh’s interim Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, held a high-level bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, where the two leaders discussed a range of sensitive issues, including the potential extradition of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

While the MEA refrained from offering further details on the extradition matter, it confirmed that discussions also focused on concerns related to attacks on religious minorities, particularly Hindus, and issues surrounding illegal immigration.

“Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s commitment to a democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive, and inclusive Bangladesh,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said. “He conveyed India’s desire to build a positive and constructive partnership with Bangladesh and emphasized that any rhetoric which could vitiate the atmosphere should be avoided.”

Addressing border management, the Prime Minister called for “strict enforcement of the law and prevention of illegal border crossings to ensure national security.” Modi also underscored India’s growing concerns about the safety of minorities in Bangladesh, notably the Hindu community, amid rising incidents of violence.

The meeting marks the first formal interaction between the Indian Prime Minister and Professor Yunus since the political upheaval in Dhaka that led to Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in August 2024. Since assuming charge as interim leader, Yunus has faced scrutiny from New Delhi over the deteriorating security environment for minorities and the perceived empowerment of hardline Islamist factions.

Earlier this year, Professor Yunus claimed that India had yet to issue an official response to Bangladesh’s request for Hasina’s extradition—a request India acknowledged receiving in 2024. Sheikh Hasina stands accused of orchestrating widespread crackdowns on political dissent, including the alleged abduction, torture, and extrajudicial killings of hundreds of activists. She has categorically denied the charges, asserting that they are politically motivated.

Tensions between New Delhi and Dhaka were further inflamed last week after Yunus, during an official visit to Beijing, called for greater Chinese economic involvement in Bangladesh. He controversially suggested that India’s strategically sensitive northeastern states could offer an entry point for expanded Chinese influence—an assertion that has raised red flags within India’s strategic and diplomatic circles.