New Delhi: On Tuesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched a scathing attack on Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor to Bangladesh’s interim government. Yunus also said that Bangladesh is the only “guardian” of the Indian Ocean for the region, given that India’s seven northeastern states are landlocked. Sarma described the remarks as offensive and unacceptable, saying they underscored continuing fears that India’s strategic “Chicken’s Neck” corridor, a narrow stretch linking the Northeast with the rest of the country, is under threat.
It is necessary to put up stronger infrastructure to secure the region, Sarma said. Some internal elements in India have always been in favour of cutting this lifeline passage and isolating the Northeast, he said, and added that for that, the need is to have multi-layered road and railway routes around and below the Chicken’s Neck. He also pressed for alternative routes to connect the Northeast to mainland India, thereby avoiding the corridor altogether. The mechanical and engineering work is challenging, but Sarma argues that this goal is attainable with creativity and willpower. Yunus’s incendiary remarks, he said, should not be dismissed, as they belied deeper strategic provocations and long-term designs.
The comments came as Yunus visited China for four days, inviting Beijing to boost its role in the region. He noted the landlocked northeastern states of India depend on Bangladesh as a seaport, which makes it a major player in economic prosperity. The dependence has caused tensions, particularly as India observes the actions of Bangladesh’s interim government closely since the ousting of Sheikh Hasina.
Congress leader Pawan Khera, on the other hand, took to social media the day before, also expressing concern. He accused Bangladesh of “inviting China to encircle India” and said that the stance was a serious threat to security in the Northeast. Khera slammed the central government over its “negligence” towards Manipur and the lack of action on China’s village settlements in Arunachal Pradesh. He then bemoaned the decline of India’s foreign policy to the extent that a country it helped create was aligning against him.
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
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