Tue Apr 01 08:55:03 UTC 2025: ## Bangladesh Leader’s Remarks on Northeast India Spark Outrage in India

**New Delhi, April 1, 2025** – Remarks by Bangladesh’s interim government chief advisor, Muhammad Yunus, regarding India’s northeastern states have ignited a firestorm of criticism in India. Yunus, in a video circulating on social media, reportedly described the seven northeastern states as “landlocked” and suggested Bangladesh could act as their gateway to the ocean, opening opportunities for Chinese economic expansion. These comments, allegedly made during a recent trip to China, have been widely condemned as offensive and provocative.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called Yunus’s statement “offensive and strongly condemnable,” highlighting the vulnerability of the “Chicken’s Neck” corridor connecting the Northeast to the rest of India. He advocated for strengthening rail and road networks in the region, both within and bypassing the strategically sensitive corridor. Sarma’s statement underscores concerns about the region’s connectivity and India’s strategic interests.

Tripura’s Tipra Motha party leader Pradyot Manikya went further, suggesting India should reclaim its historical access to the Bay of Bengal through the Chittagong Hill Tracts, a region with a significant indigenous population that historically desired union with India. He criticized Yunus’s remarks as those of a “stop-gap leader” and highlighted the potential for leveraging the region’s historical ties to secure better access to the sea.

The controversy comes amid growing tensions between India and Bangladesh following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently reaffirmed India’s commitment to the bilateral partnership, Yunus’s comments have severely strained relations.

Indian political figures across the spectrum have voiced strong disapproval. Congress leader Pawan Khera accused Bangladesh of inviting China to encircle India, while fellow Congress member Gaurav Gogoi expressed deep concern over the remarks undermining India’s sovereignty. Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of Prime Minister Modi’s economic advisory council, questioned the significance of Yunus’s focus on the landlocked nature of the northeastern states. Former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Veena Sikri, described Yunus’s statement as “very shocking” and completely unwarranted, given existing agreements on northeastern access to the Bay of Bengal.

The incident underscores the complex geopolitical dynamics in the region and the sensitivity surrounding India’s northeastern states’ connectivity and security. The controversy is likely to further complicate relations between the two nations.

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