Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the US for three days from September 21 to address the ‘Summit of the Future’ at the United Nations General Assembly. During this time he is unlikely to meet the head of the interim government of Bangladesh Muhammad Yunus. People associated with the matter gave this information on Wednesday. Earlier, Bangladesh had made a formal request for a meeting between the two leaders during the General Assembly. Bangladesh hoped that this meeting could address some of the issues that have emerged since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.
However, sources say that this meeting is not included in the program scheduled by India. Apart from this, PM Modi already has a very busy schedule during his US visit. PM Modi’s program includes the Quad leaders’ summit in Wilmington, Delaware on September 21 and addressing the ‘Summit of the Future’ at the United Nations General Assembly on September 23.
A person associated with the matter said, “The Prime Minister will hold some bilateral meetings during the United Nations General Assembly, but there is no schedule for a meeting with the head of the interim government of Bangladesh.” According to sources, the reason behind not holding the meeting is not only the problem of time. But the recent statement made by Yunus on India-Bangladesh relations and the comments made on India by members of the interim government in Dhaka have also given rise to a negative atmosphere.
Yunus had criticised Sheikh Hasina in an interview and hinted that Bangladesh may seek her extradition. He said that India needs to understand that all political parties other than Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League are not Islamists. Moreover, members of Bangladesh’s interim government, especially Foreign Minister Touhid Hussain, have also raised the issue of Sheikh Hasina’s extradition. Hasina moved to India after resigning on August 5. Hussain also admitted that the issue could create an ‘uncomfortable situation’ for the Indian government.
Meanwhile, the Indian government has said that Sheikh Hasina was allowed to travel to India on short notice. Hasina is currently in an undisclosed secure location in India and is almost impossible to contact. Meanwhile, sources said that no meeting has been scheduled between PM Modi and former US President Donald Trump, but the possibility of a chance meeting between the two leaders in New York cannot be ruled out.
Trump said at a campaign event in Flint, Michigan on Tuesday that he would meet Modi next week, but did not reveal the location of the meeting. Trump also said that India is “grossly abusing” the US-India trade relationship. Some other world leaders who have visited the US in recent months have also met Trump.