Dhaka/Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has slammed the statement of Bangladesh interim government’s chief advisor Muhammad Yunus regarding the seven states of northeast as “offensive and condemnable”.
The CM also stated that Yunus's remark underscores the vulnerability of the “Chicken Neck” corridor of the northeast.
Yunus advocated for closer economic ties with China during his four-day visit to the country. He proposed that China's engagement could extend to India's seven northeastern states, emphasizing that they are landlocked and could benefit from access through Bangladesh.
During a high-level roundtable on "sustainable infrastructure and energy" at The Presidential Hotel in Beijing, Yunus highlighted Bangladesh's unique position as the "only guardian of the ocean" in the region. He pointed out that India’s northeastern states, collectively called the Seven Sisters, lack direct access to the sea. Yunus suggested that this situation presents a major opportunity, as the region could serve as an extension of the Chinese economy.
CM Sarma said that the “statement made by Md Younis of Bangladesh so called interim Government referring to the seven sister states of Northeast India as landlocked and positioning Bangladesh as their guardian of ocean access, is offensive and strongly condemnable.”
“This remark underscores the persistent vulnerability narrative associated with India’s strategic “Chicken’s Neck” corridor. Historically, even internal elements within India have dangerously suggested severing this critical passageway to isolate the Northeast from the mainland physically,” he added.
India is likely to view any increasing Chinese influence in its neighbouring regions with concern, given Bangladesh's strategic significance. Several locations in Bangladesh are near the Siliguri Corridor, commonly known as the Chicken’s Neck, a narrow strip of land that connects India's northeastern states to the rest of the country.
After the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government assumed power in August 2024, Bangladesh has been in the grip of violence and protests. Several protest marches have been taken out in recent months demanding the resignation of the Home Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.
Several people were injured, and vehicles were torched in a violent clash between two major political parties in Bangladesh -- Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami — earlier this week.
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Yunus may hold bilateral talks with PM Modi Dhaka: The interim government in Bangladesh led by Muhammad Yunus has hinted about the possibility of the first-ever bilateral talks between the Chief Advisor and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, the media reported. The Chief Advisor's High Representative on Rohingya and Priority Issues Khalilur Rahman on Wednesday said that the leaders of BIMSTEC member states will discuss their future works with Yunus. Hence, there is a scope to hold the meeting with Yunus and PM Modi. On April 4, the BIMSTEC chairmanship would officially be handed over to Bangladesh. Recently, PM Modi had written a letter to Yunus highlighting the significance of mutual sensitivity while referring to the Bangladesh Liberation War as a ‘shared history’. |
