Zakir Hossain / Dhaka
Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus is set to visit China, Thailand, and Japan in March, April, and May to strengthen international ties, with a potential first-ever meeting with Indian PM Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 6th BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok.
Yunus will leave for China on March 26, attending the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan before holding bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on March 28. His visit follows an invitation from the Chinese leadership last August.
In April, he will attend the BIMSTEC Summit (April 4) in Bangkok, where Bangladesh will assume chairmanship. Diplomatic sources suggest that a Yunus-Modi meeting could take place, underscoring Bangladesh-India cooperation. Addressing ties with India, Yunus told the BBC, “The fate of Bangladesh and India is tied together, and we cannot be isolated. We always encourage the best possible relations.”
In May, Yunus will visit Japan for the Nikkei 30th Future of Asia event (May 29-30) in Tokyo, following an invitation from Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Ikuina Akiko. Discussions are ongoing for a bilateral meeting with Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba.