'Northeast integral part of India': Former Indian envoy slams Muhammad Yunus for his 'landlocked’ comment

Bangladesh interim government chief adviser Muhammad Yunus receives backlash for his comment

Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh Chief Adviser, is facing strong criticism after he offered China to come to the sea near India's 'Seven Sisters'.

During his recent four-day visit to China, Bangladesh's interim chief Muhammad Yunus said, "Seven states of India, Eastern part of India called seven sisters, they are landlocked country. They have no way to reach out to the ocean. We are the only guardians of the ocean in this region. This opens up a huge possibility. This could be an extension of the Chinese economy - Built, produce and market things, bring it back to China, export to the rest of the world."

Former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Veena Sikri, has strongly condemned Yunus's statement.

She told ANI, "Very shocking statement by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. He has absolutely no right to make a statement like that. He knows that the northeast is an integral part of India, and we have had very close discussions with the Government of Bangladesh on access by Northeast India to the Bay of Bengal, and there are formal agreements on this."

Sikri further warned Bangladesh that if it is "not interested" in granting connectivity rights to Northeast India, it could not expect riparian rights in return. "We must condemn the statement," she said.

"I can tell Bangladesh one thing very clearly: if they are not interested in giving connectivity rights to Northeast India, then they cannot expect any rights as a riparian. So, they should know this very clearly, and they should not have any illusions about this," she further commented.

#WATCH | Delhi: On Bangladesh's interim chief Muhammad Yunus' statement, '7 sisters of India landlocked. We are the only guardian of the ocean for all this region', Former High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Veena Sikri says, "Very shocking statement by Chief Adviser pic.twitter.com/QvyWo916G9
ANI (@ANI) March 31, 2025

During his visit, Yunus also stated that Bangladesh is open to Chinese participation in the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project. Previously, this project, along with the modernization of Mongla Port, was linked to India under the Sheikh Hasina administration.

As Beijing expands its influence in the region, Yunus’ positioning of Bangladesh towards China signals a clear shift in Dhaka’s diplomatic and economic alignment, moving closer to China and away from India.