 "Why Bangaldesh leader Yunus' remarks on the Northeast have angered India")
Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, has sparked a row with his controversial remarks on India’s northeast. He made the comments during his four-day visit to China from March 26 to 29.
Yunus’ remarks come at a time when India’s relations are already fraught with Bangladesh. Amid the strained diplomatic relationship between New Delhi and Dhaka, China has been making overtures to Bangladesh.
Let’s take a closer look.
What did Muhammad Yunus say?
During his four-day trip to China , Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus said Northeast India is “landlocked”, with “no way to reach out to the ocean”.
Batting for an “extension of the Chinese economy”, he said Bangladesh is the “only guardian of the ocean for all this region”.
“Seven states of India, eastern part of India, called seven sisters… they are landlocked country, landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean,” Yunus said.
“We are the only guardian of the ocean for all this region. So this opens up a huge possibility. So this could be an extension of the Chinese economy. Build things, produce things, market things, bring things to China, bring it out to the whole rest of the world,” the Bangladesh leader added.
Clips of the video where Yunus can be heard making the remarks were shared by the Bangladesh interim government on its social media handles.
Yunus’ remarks spark row in India
Muhammad Yunus’ comments have triggered a backlash in India, with political leaders from the northeast leading the charge against him.
Calling his remarks “offensive”, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote in a long post on X, “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.”
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIn this light, he pitched for enhancing infrastructure in the region, by developing “robust railway and road networks both underneath and around the Chicken’s Neck corridor.”
“Additionally, exploring alternative road routes connecting the Northeast to mainland India, effectively bypassing the Chicken’s Neck, should be prioritised," the Assam CM added.
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…
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 1, 2025
Noting that this plan could have “significant engineering challenges”, Sarma said it is “achievable with determination and innovation”. “Such provocative statements by Md Younis must not be taken lightly, as they reflect deeper strategic considerations and longstanding agendas.”
Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma reacted strongly to the Bangladesh interim leader’s comments. “Rather than spending billions on innovative and challenging engineering ideas, we might as well break up Bangladesh and have our own access to the sea,” he wrote on X.
Rather than spending billions on innovative and challenging engineering ideas we might as well break up Bangladesh and have our own access to the sea . The Chittagong hill tracts were always inhabited by indigenous tribes which always wanted to be part of india since 1947 . There… https://t.co/rcjs6msae7
— Pradyot_Tripura (@PradyotManikya) April 1, 2025
Questioning the Central government’s foreign policy, Congress leader Pawan Khera said Bangladesh was inviting China for a siege of India.
“The Bangladesh government’s approach is very dangerous for the safety of our Northeast. The government is not watching Manipur and China has established a village in Arunachal Pradesh. Our foreign policy is in such a deplorable state that the country, for whose creation we played a major role, is now busy trying to surround us,” he said.
बांग्लादेश भारत की घेराबंदी करने के लिए चीन को अपने यहां दावत दे रहा है। बांग्लादेश सरकार का ये रवैया हमारे नॉर्थ ईस्ट क्षेत्र की सुरक्षा के लिए बहुत खतरनाक है। सरकार मणिपुर की सुध नहीं ले रही और अरुणाचल में चीन पहले से ही गांव बसा कर बैठा है।
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) March 31, 2025
हमारी विदेश नीति इतनी दयनीय स्थिति… pic.twitter.com/dmPNkNBj2w
Congress MP from Assam, Gaurav Gogoi, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently wrote to Bangladesh, mentioning “strong ties” between the two nations. “After that Muhammad Yunus’ recent remarks about Northeast India and China are deeply concerning and unacceptable, as they undermine India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.
Former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh also condemned Yunus’s remark, saying Bangladesh’s interim government was “attempting to frame the Northeast as a strategic pawn to serve their geopolitical ambitions”.
He added, “India’s unity and territorial integrity are non-negotiable and cannot be challenged by anyone."
It is apparent that Md Yunus and his interim government in Bangladesh are attempting to frame the Northeast as a strategic pawn to serve their geopolitical ambitions. Such provocative and irresponsible statements are unbecoming of a leader, and I condemn his remarks in the…
— N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) April 1, 2025
Why Yunus’ comments matter
Yunus’ remarks are a worry for India.
The Northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura and Sikkim are connected to the rest of India through a 22 km strip of land in north Bengal called the Siliguri Corridor.
Also known as the Chicken’s Neck, it also links India with Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. Any transport, road or rail, to the Northeast via land has to go through the Siliguri corridor. Any blockage on this route will cut off the Northeast from the rest of India.
As per Indian Express, as it has been an economic and strategic challenge for India to access the Northeast states through this corridor, New Delhi engaged with the previous Hasina government to transit through Bangladesh over the past ten years or so.
Yunus’ comments are concerning as Dhaka appears to be flexing its access to Northeast India. By adding China to the mix which aims for regional influence, it could further complicate India-Bangladesh ties.
As Bangladesh gets closer to China, India is watching cautiously. There were previous reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could meet Yunus on the sidelines of the sixth BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand. However, New Delhi is yet to confirm.
With inputs from agencies
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