The remarks of Bangladesh’s interim government chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus, inviting China to expand its influence in India’s northeastern states have offended many across the nation, but leaders from the North East are most miffed, with some even suggesting splitting up Bangladesh.
Launching a tirade against Yunus’ comments, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called them ‘offensive’ and ‘strongly condemnable’ as he suggested ways to overcome the vulnerability narrative associated with India’s strategic ‘Chicken’s Neck’ corridor. 
Pradyot Manikya, chief of the Tipra Motha Party, came up with a brutal and profound solution, suggesting that Bangladesh be split up to get access to the sea rather than spending money on costly engineering ideas.

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Also read | 'Seven Indian states are landlocked': Yunus invites China to expand, calls Bangladesh 'only guardian of ocean'

During his China visit last week, Yunus had urged Beijing to establish an economic foothold in Bangladesh by leveraging its strategic position, while claiming to be the “only guardian of the ocean” for the landlocked northeastern states of India, and ‘invited’ China to make the area an ‘extension’.
The video of Yunus’ remarks went viral on Monday, igniting a widespread condemnation. Yunus is being called names on social media.

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“The statement made by Md Younis of Bangladesh’s 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 (sic),” Sarma said in a post on X.

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“Historically, even internal elements within India have dangerously suggested severing this critical passageway to isolate the Northeast from the mainland physically,” he added, and suggested scaling up infrastructure in the region. 
“It is imperative to develop more robust railway and road networks both underneath and around the Chicken’s Neck corridor,” he said.


Tipra Motha Party chief Pradyot Manikya came up with a more blistering reaction, suggesting that India adopt a more aggressive approach.
“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,” Manikya said.

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He further called India’s decision to relinquish control over Chittagong port in 1947 “the biggest mistake” and validated his plan by pointing out the pro-India leanings of the indigenous groups that historically ruled Chittagong.
“The Chittagong hill tracts were always inhabited by indigenous tribes that always wanted to be part of India since 1947. There are lakhs and lakhs of Tripuri, Garo, Khasi, and Chakma people residing in Bangladesh in terrible conditions in their traditional lands. This should be utilized for our national interest and for their well-being,” he added.

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Opposition party Congress leader Pawan Khera also slammed Yunus’ remarks, warning of the strategic threat posed by China’s growing influence in the region. He accused the Union government of failing to safeguard the Northeast.
“Bangladesh is inviting China to encircle India. This attitude of the Bangladesh government is very dangerous for the security of our North East region. The government is not taking care of Manipur, and China has already settled villages in Arunachal,” Khera wrote in a post on X in Hindi.

The remarks of Yunus reflect his shift towards China after political upheaval and change in Dhaka, even though Bangladesh owes its very existence to India, which had played a major role in its creation.
Incidentally, some social media marked the irony in Yunus’ comments and pointed out that Bangladesh is itself almost completely surrounded by India.

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