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The Print
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Print
Yunus changes tack on India's Northeast, calls for ‘plan for Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan & Seven Sisters'
'We are the only guardian of the ocean,' he had said at the time, inviting Chinese investment to Bangladesh, pitching it as a gateway to the region. He went further, suggesting that this geographical placement offered a 'huge possibility' for China and also asserted that the region could become 'an extension of the Chinese economy'. He made the comments Monday during a meeting with Indira Rana, Deputy Speaker of Nepal's House of Representatives, currently in Dhaka to attend an event hosted by the Embassy of Nepal. 'There should be an integrated economic plan for Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Seven Sisters. We have more to gain together than apart,' Yunus was quoted as saying. This marks a notable shift from his earlier remarks in March during a visit to Beijing, where he described India's Northeast as 'landlocked'. New Delhi: Following an earlier statement labelling India's Northeast as isolated and 'landlocked' in his investment pitch to China, Bangladesh interim leader Muhammad Yunus appears to have now changed tack—calling for a unified cross-border economic integration plan involving Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and the 'Seven Sisters' states in India. 'From Bangladesh, you can go anywhere you want. The ocean is our backyard,' Yunus declared. Now, the chief adviser to the interim government in Dhaka is positioning the same geographical region as a potential corridor of shared prosperity, rooted in mutual interests and resource sharing. He further hailed the Bangladesh-Nepal-India Tripartite Power Sales Agreement, signed in October last year, as a promising model for deeper energy integration. The agreement enables the transfer of 40 MW of Nepalese hydropower to Bangladesh via India. His earlier remarks on the Northeast had drawn sharp criticism in India, given their geopolitical implications. India's Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar, responded by reaffirming the strategic importance of the Northeast within regional frameworks, calling it a connectivity hub for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)—a grouping that includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Moreover, his remarks triggered outrage among Indian political leaders, particularly in the Northeast. Following this, in what was seen as a direct rebuke, India's Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) canceled a 2020 transshipment agreement that allowed Bangladeshi goods to move through Indian territory en route to Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar. 'The transshipment facility extended to Bangladesh had over a period of time resulted in significant congestion at our airports and ports. Logistical delays and higher costs were hindering our own exports and creating backlogs' Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, had said at the time. Further, at the BIMSTEC Summit held in Bangkok in April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged Yunus with only a brief handshake and used the summit to reinforce that India's Northeast is not a peripheral outpost but a central player in BIMSTEC's future. Tensions escalated further following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, when ThePrint reported controversial comments by retired Bangladeshi Major General A.L.M. Fazlur Rahman. Rahman in a Facebook post suggested that in the event of a war between India and Pakistan, Bangladesh should seize the opportunity to capture India's Northeast with Chinese support. (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: Yunus regime's ban on Hasina's Awami League 'concerning', says MEA; calls for polls in Bangladesh
India.com
13-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Anti India Yunus makes another statement on Northeast India, asks India's neighbour to..., will Modi govt teach a lesson to Bangladesh?
Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus- File image India-Bangladesh relations: In a matter of shock for the India amid the India-Pakistan tensions, Bangladesh head of government Muhammad Yunus has passed a comment that has taken the world by surprise. The head of the government has called for 'an integrated economic plan for the Seven System States of Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and India'. Muhammad Yunus added that these countries and 'India's Northeast' will benefit more by staying together than by staying apart. Here are all the details you need to know. Bangladesh's interim government head, Muhammad Yunus, shared a post on social media platform X following his meeting with Indira Rana, Deputy Speaker of Nepal's House of Representatives, in which he referenced Northeast India. 'Interim Government Chief Muhammad Yunus called for an integrated economic strategy between Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and India's seven northeastern states, emphasizing the possibility of cross-border cooperation in hydropower, healthcare and road connectivity', Mohammad Yunus' office said in a post. Bangladesh issues a gazette notification Bangladesh on Monday issued a gazette notification, officially banning all activities of deposed premier Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party under an overnight revised anti-terrorism law. 'The Home Ministry today issued the gazette notification banning all activities of the Awami League, its all front, associate and brotherly organisations,' Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd.) Jahangir Alam told a media briefing here. According to the notification, Awami League and its affiliated organisations were banned under the Anti-Terrorism Act 2025 until Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) completed the trial of its leaders and activists, said a Home Ministry official. The official said Section 18 of the revised law empowered the government to declare any 'entity' or organisation alongside an individual if they were found involved in terrorism based on reasonable grounds. The original Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009 did not have the provision of banning the 'entity'. (With inputs from agencies)
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First Post
13-05-2025
- Business
- First Post
Is Yunus getting it wrong about India's northeast again? Says economic integration of...
During a meeting with Nepal's Parliament Speaker Indira Rana, Yunus called for 'an integrated economic plan for Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Seven Sisters' read more Bangladesh's Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has once again appeared to have suggested that India's Northeast is independent from the country, months after he called the region 'landlocked.' In a post on X, the interim government elaborated on Yunus' meeting with Indira Rana, Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives of Nepal Parliament, saying, 'Yunus has called for an integrated economic strategy between Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Seven North Eastern States of India, emphasising the potential of cross-border collaboration in hydropower, healthcare, and road connectivity.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Chief Adviser Calls for Regional Economic Integration and Hydro Power Collaboration with Nepal DHAKA, May 12: Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has called for an integrated economic strategy between Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Seven North Eastern States of India,… — Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) May 12, 2025 He called for 'an integrated economic plan for Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Seven Sisters', adding that these countries and India's Northeast have 'more to gain together than apart.' Last month, during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the chief advisor sparked a row by calling the Northeastern region 'landlocked' and saying that there is 'no way' for the seven states to reach out to the ocean.' 'Seven states of India, eastern part of India, called seven sisters… they are landlocked country, landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean,' Yunus said. 'We are the only guardian of the ocean for all this region. So this opens up a huge possibility. So this could be an extension of the Chinese economy. Build things, produce things, market things, bring things to China, bring it out to the whole rest of the world,' the Bangladesh leader added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
