Yunus at it again, suggests economic integration plan for 'Seven Sisters', Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan

Bangladesh's Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus

Bangladesh's Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has once again appeared to have made a remark on northeastern states of India, months after he called the region "landlocked".

During a meeting with the Deputy Speaker of Nepal’s House of Representatives, who is currently visiting Bangladesh,  Yunus proposed a comprehensive economic integration plan encompassing Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and the seven northeastern states of India.

“There should be an integrated economic plan for Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Seven Sisters,” he said, referring to the northeastern states of India. “We have more to gain together than apart.”

He emphasised upon the potential of cross-border collaboration in hydropower, healthcare, and road connectivity. The discussion focused on the enhancement of hydropower cooperation between Bangladesh and Nepal. Both sides also acknowledged the importance of Bangladesh-Nepal-India Tripartite Power Sales Agreement that was signed in last October to import 40MW hydropower from Nepal to Bangladesh using the Indian grid.

Yunus also reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to regional healthcare accessibility, noting that a forthcoming 1,000-bed hospital in Rangpur would welcome patients from Nepal and Bhutan, promoting “regional health security and shared prosperity".

Yunus, during his recent four-day visit to China, remarked that India's Northeast was "landlocked" and had "no way to reach out to the ocean," presenting Bangladesh as the primary gateway for the region's maritime access. He also encouraged Beijing to expand its economic influence in Bangladesh, calling the country the "only guardian of the ocean" in the region.

“The seven states of eastern India, known as the Seven Sisters, are a landlocked region. They have no direct access to the ocean,” Yunus had said. “We are the only guardian of the ocean for this entire region. This opens up a huge opportunity. It could become an extension of the Chinese economy — build things, produce things, market things, bring goods to China and export them to the rest of the world.”

Economist and member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Sanjeev Sanyal, questioned the logic behind invoking India’s internal geography in an economic pitch to China. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Interesting that Yunus is making a public appeal to the Chinese on the basis that 7 states in India are landlocked. China is welcome to invest in Bangladesh, but what exactly is the significance of 7 Indian states being landlocked?"