According to The Hindustan Times, the Bangladesh interim government’s account of the meeting between Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been criticized as “mischievous and politically motivated.” Sources familiar with the matter, speaking anonymously, responded to an official statement from Bangladesh and a Facebook post by Yunus’ spokesperson, Shafiqul Alam, saying that the portrayal of Modi’s remarks about Yunus, the relationship with Bangladesh, and the previous government under Sheikh Hasina was “inaccurate.”

The controversy stemmed from Alam’s Facebook post, where he claimed that Modi’s response to Bangladesh’s extradition request for Hasina was not negative, and that Modi had remarked on Hasina’s “disrespectful behavior” towards Yunus. However, the sources disputed this, stating that Modi had suggested such issues were best discussed by the foreign ministers of the two countries, and that the interpretation of Modi’s stance on the extradition request was unfounded.

Furthermore, they denied that there had been any negative response to the extradition request, questioning the Bangladesh interim government’s seriousness. India has not yet responded to Bangladesh’s extradition request for Hasina, who has been living in New Delhi in self-imposed exile since her government collapsed in August. Indian officials have noted that Bangladesh has not completed the necessary legal procedures for the extradition.

The sources also highlighted that Modi had described the bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh as a “deep friendship” and discussed the importance of elections for democratic legitimacy. They cautioned that continued delays in this area would harm Yunus’ reputation. Additionally, they refuted the Bangladesh government’s claim that attacks on minorities were merely a “social media concoction,” stressing that Modi had directly raised concerns about the safety of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh and urged Dhaka to take action against atrocities.

The security of Bangladesh’s minorities has been a point of tension between the two countries since the interim government took office last August, with India repeatedly pressing Bangladesh to ensure their protection.