The visit of the year for Bangladesh is now over. The Chief Advisor of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, has paid obeisance to Beijing and returned in apparent triumph. The visit was described as “the most important visit" in 50 years, according to his press secretary, who was seemingly quoting the Chinese ambassador. Beijing is known for its flowery language, but the visit was neither the sweeping success it is being portrayed as, nor a failure. The truth lies somewhere in between. Yunus has certainly gone out of his way to please his hosts. It’s all rather mysterious. The gentleman is, after all, known to be an acolyte of former US President Bill Clinton and had long enjoyed the support of the American establishment. Now, it seems, the tables have turned.

Yunus has faced negative press in India from the outset, as Bangladesh plunged into a spiral of violence against minorities and Awami League leaders—developments he appeared unable to control. Social media added fuel to the fire, as did muddled reports on border clashes, which were more the result of villagers aiding smugglers than of any real skirmishes.

While student leaders like Nahid Islam have been openly hostile towards India, Yunus began his tenure by calling for ‘good relations’ with Delhi. However, matters worsened following the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das last year, and the situation has since deteriorated rapidly.

Apparently, Bangladesh did want Yunus to visit India first but was unable to secure a suitable date. That may well be true, but his visit to China—while understandable in terms of the assistance hoped for—saw Yunus making some remarkable statements that appeared to be a deliberate snub to India.

The visit to Beijing would have been planned months in advance and was preceded by a trip from Foreign Minister Touhid Hossain, who met his counterpart with hopes of securing budgetary support and an extended loan repayment period, in addition to pushing for greater regional connectivity.

In the days that followed, Hossain was heard saying that no agreements were expected to be signed—only several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). That hardly boded well for the visit. The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s

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