BJP leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta has advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi against meeting Bangladesh's interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, warning that such an interaction could be used to legitimise a “fragile regime.”
“In my personal view, it would be judicious of Prime Minister Modi Narendra Modi to avoid having any one-on-one meeting with Bangladesh’s chief adviser. Mohammed Yunus. From all accounts, the fragile regime in Bangladesh will use any such meeting to prolong its own tenure,” Dasgupta wrote in a post on Tuesday.
His remarks come at a time when Yunus is set to begin a four-day visit to China on Wednesday, during which he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and attend the Boao Forum for Asia. According to Yunus' press secretary Shafiqul Alam, the meeting with Xi is scheduled for March 28 in Beijing. The visit is being viewed in both Delhi and Washington as a key moment in Dhaka's post-Hasina diplomatic reorientation.
Yunus, who took over as Chief Adviser following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in a student-led uprising last year, has also sought a meeting with Modi on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok from April 2 to 4. However, India has yet to confirm the meeting.
In Dhaka, the visit has been framed as a “milestone” in bilateral ties. Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen reportedly told Yunus the trip would be “the most important visit by a Bangladeshi leader in 50 years.” Beijing has already made moves to support the interim regime, including agreeing to extend Bangladesh’s loan repayment period and offering tariff-free access for its exports.
The China-Bangladesh dynamic has also drawn interest due to Dhaka’s willingness to welcome Chinese investment, especially relocating factories facing global trade restrictions. Additionally, Bangladesh has expressed interest in Beijing's Teesta River management project, a move that India has offered to counter considering the sensitivities involved.
China remains Bangladesh's largest trading partner, with trade volume reaching USD 25 billion annually. However, Bangladeshi exports to China remain under USD 1 billion despite tariff concessions.