'Avoid rhetoric that vitiates environment’: What PM Modi told Muhammad Yunus

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged Bangladesh chief advisor Muhammad Yunus to avoid any inflammatory rhetoric and instead focus on building a constructive and pragmatic relationship with India, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

In his first talks with Bangladesh's chief advisor Muhammad Yunus, PM Modi said "that any rhetoric that vitiates the environment is best avoided". The Prime Minister said that such an approach would help both nations.

Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who took over as the chief adviser of an interim government in Dhaka after Hasina's exit, met Modi on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok.

As per the statement released after their conversation, the Prime Minister also highlighted that cooperation between the two countries has brought tangible benefits to the people of both countries.

Prime Minister Modi's statement came days after Muhammad Yunus, in a bilateral talk with China, described India's Northeast as "landlocked" and positioned Bangladesh as the "guardian of ocean access" for the region.

The Bangladeshi leader's remark drew sharp criticism from Indian leaders, with EAM S Jaishankar highlighting India's strategic role in the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

"We, after all, have the longest coastline in the Bay of Bengal, of almost 6,500 km. India shares borders with five BIMSTEC members, connects most of them, but also provides much of the interface between the Indian sub-continent and ASEAN. Our North-Eastern region in particular is emerging as a connectivity hub for the BIMSTEC, with a myriad network of roads, railways, waterways, grids and pipelines," Jaishankar said in a statement.

India on Sheikh Hasina's extradition

On being asked if Bangladesh made any formal request to India for the extradition of Sheikh Hasina to Dhaka, foreign secretary Vikram Misri confirmed that a formal request was made by Bangladesh.

Both leaders discussed Bangladesh's request seeking Hasina's extradition, Misri said, without elaborating further.

Relations between India and Bangladesh have deteriorated since ousted leader Sheikh Hasina fled the country last August in the face of massive student-led protests and sought shelter in India.

PM Modi raised concerns over the safety of minorities

During his talks with Yunus, PM Modi also underlined India's concerns over the safety and security of minorities, including Hindus in Bangladesh.

“PM Modi reiterated India's support for democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh. He underlined Prof. Yunus's desire to forge a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh. The PM also urged that any rhetoric that vitiates the environment is best avoided,” foreign secretary Vikram Misri said.

Modi on border security issues

In regards to security and border concerns, Modi underscored the necessity of strict law enforcement to prevent illegal border crossings, especially during the night.

"On the border, strict enforcement of the law and prevention of illegal border crossings, especially at night, are necessary for maintaining border security and stability," the statement read.

The Indian PM further suggested that the two nations could meet through bilateral mechanisms to review their cooperation and continue strengthening their ties.