Dhaka, April 4 -- BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas has expressed the view that the first bilateral meeting between Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok was 'very important'.

"This meeting is certainly very important. It (the meeting) was essential," he said while replying to a question from reporters on Friday afternoon at his residence in the city's Shahjahanpur area.

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The BNP leader said the Bangladesh government was trying for this meeting on its own initiative. "A meeting was needed at this time," he said.

He said bringing Sheikh Hasina back to Bangladesh is the demand of the time ...