Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met with Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor of Bangladesh’s interim government, on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok. The meeting marked the first direct interaction between the two leaders since Yunus took charge of Bangladesh in August last year, following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.
Relations between New Delhi and Dhaka have cooled since the change of government in Bangladesh, with India expressing concerns over reports of attacks on religious minorities in the country. In response, Dhaka has insisted that issues affecting minorities in Bangladesh should remain a domestic matter.
Tensions have further escalated due to Yunus's recent remarks concerning India’s northeastern states. During a visit to China, the Nobel laureate made a controversial statement about India’s "Seven Sisters," the seven northeastern states, calling them "landlocked" and positioning Bangladesh as their "guardian of the ocean." Yunus remarked, "The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean. Bangladesh is the 'guardian of the ocean' for the region. This opens up a huge possibility. This could be an extension for the Chinese economy."
These comments sparked a strong reaction from Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who condemned Yunus's remarks as "offensive." Sarma stressed the importance of improving connectivity in the region to mitigate any vulnerabilities. "The statement made by Md Yunus of Bangladesh 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," Sarma said.
He further emphasised the need to strengthen the strategic "Chicken's Neck" corridor — a narrow stretch of land in West Bengal that connects the northeastern states to the rest of India. Sarma added, "It is imperative to develop more 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."
Despite the tensions, Prime Minister Modi had earlier extended a message of goodwill to Yunus on Bangladesh's Independence Day, March 26, where he emphasised the shared history between the two nations. In his letter, Modi wrote, "We remain committed to advancing this partnership, driven by our common aspirations for peace, stability, and prosperity, and based on mutual sensitivity to each other's interests and concerns."
