Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has sparked outrage in India, with many condemning his remarks as a threat to national security. During a four-day visit to China, Yunus urged Beijing to extend its economic influence to Bangladesh, citing India’s northeastern states as landlocked and reliant on Bangladesh for access to the ocean.
Yunus’ comments, which surfaced on social media on Monday, referred to the seven northeastern states of India as the “seven sisters” and emphasized their landlocked status. He claimed that Bangladesh is the “only guardian of the ocean” in the region, presenting this as a huge opportunity for China to expand its economic influence.
Yunus was addressing a High-level Roundtable on Sustainable Infrastructure and Energy in Beijing on March 28.
Yunus’ remarks have been met with widespread criticism in India, with many viewing his comments as an attempt to undermine India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Bangladesh Chief Adviser’s remarks comes at a time when there are rumours that the army is planning a coup against its chief adviser.
His remarks in Beijing could be an attempt to deflect attention from his own situation.
China has tried to get closer to India’s northeast in the past. It has built strategic infrastructure, dams and villages close to the border with Arunachal Pradesh, which it claims to be part of “South Tibet”.
Tripura’s Tipra Motha Party chief Pradyot Deb Barman in his reaction to the Bangladesh Chief Adviser’s comments stated that India might as well break up Bangladesh and have its own access to the sea.
According to Barman, the Chittagong hill tracts were always inhabited by indigenous tribes which always wanted to be part of India since 1947.
He said that there are lakhs and lakhs of Tripuri, Garo, Khasi and Chakma people who reside in Bangladesh in terrible conditions in their traditional lands.
Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma has called Yunus’ comments “offensive”.
Sarma also called for building alternative road routes to the northeast.
The controversy has highlighted the sensitive nature of the Siliguri Corridor and the need for India to maintain its strategic interests in the region.
The controversy centers around the Siliguri Corridor, also known as the “Chicken’s Neck,” a narrow strip of land connecting West Bengal to the northeastern states of India. This corridor is strategically crucial, serving as the only land bridge between the two regions.
The corridor’s importance extends beyond trade, as it also facilitates military supply lines and connectivity between the Indian mainland and its northeastern states.
