"Any Rhetoric...": PM's Message To Bangladesh Leader After Northeast Remark

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Muhammad Yunus, chief advisor of Bangladesh's interim government, met on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok today. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were also present. The Prime Minister raised with the Bangladesh leader India's concerns on the safety of minorities in the neighbouring country. He also suggested Dhaka to avoid "rhetoric that vitiates the environment", weeks after Mr Yunus' remarks on the Northeast drew sharp responses from Indian leaders. 

"The Prime Minister reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh. He underlined that India believed in a people-centric approach to the relationship and highlighted the cooperation between the two countries over a long period of time that has delivered tangible benefits to people in both countries. In this spirit, he once again underlined to Professor Yunus India's desire to forge a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh based on pragmatism," Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told the media later.

"The Prime Minister also urged in this regard that any rhetoric that vitiates the environment is best avoided. On the border, strict enforcement of the law and prevention of illegal border crossing, especially at night, in necessary for maintaining border stability and security," Mr Misri said.

The Foreign Secretary said that Prime Minister Modi underlined India's concerns related to the safety and security of minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, and expressed his expectations that the government of Bangladesh would ensure their security. The Prime Minister also pressed for a thorough investigation into all cases of atrocities, he said.

The Bangladesh government, too, issued a statement on the conversation between the two leaders. According to it, Mr Yunus told Prime Minister Modi that Bangladesh "deeply values its relationship with India". "The deep-rooted friendship between our two countries is founded on intertwined histories, geographical proximity, and cultural affinity. We remain thankful for the unwavering support of the government and people of India during our most challenging time in 1971," he said.

The Bangladesh leader sought India's support for a Free Trade Agreement among the seven BIMSTEC members and also called for discussions to renew the Ganges Water Treaty and to conclude the Teesta Water Sharing Agreement.

Mr Yunus also asked Prime Minister Modi about the status of Bangladesh's request for the extradition of Sheikh Hasina and said she had been making inflammatory remarks in the media and attempting to destabilise the situation in Bangladesh. "We request that the Government of India take appropriate measures to restrain her from continuing to make such incendiary statements while she remains in your country," he said.

Responding to Prime Minister Modi's concern over the condition of minorities in Bangladesh, Mr Yunus said the reports of attacks on the minorities were hugely inflated and "the bulk of them were fake news". "The Chief Adviser said he has instituted an effective system for monitoring every incident of religious and gender violence in the country, and his government was taking serious actions to stop any occurrence of such incidents," the statement said.

This was the first meeting between the two leaders since Mr Yunus took charge of Bangladesh following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government in August last year. The meeting assumes significance amid Dhaka's growing closeness with Beijing, a development Delhi has been watching closely.

Relations between Delhi and Dhaka have taken a frosty turn since the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government was overthrown after a nationwide movement and an interim government took over. The former Prime Minister fled to India. In the months following the change of guard, India expressed concerns over reports of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh. Dhaka has stressed that "Bangladesh's minorities are Bangladesh's issue".

Mr Yunus' recent remarks on the Northeastern states in India stoked tensions between the two countries and drew strong responses from the region's leaders. A video of Mr Yunus's remarks, apparently made during his four-day trip to China, shows him saying, "The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean." He says Bangladesh is the "guardian of the ocean" for the region. "This opens up a huge possibility. This could be an extension for the Chinese economy," he said.

Reacting to the remarks, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said what the Bangladesh leader had said was "offensive". He stressed the need to develop more robust rail and road networks connecting the Northeast to the rest of the country.

"The statement made by Md Younis of Bangladesh 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." The Chicken's Neck Corridor is a stretch of land in West Bengal's Siliguri which connects the region to the rest of India. Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan surround this stretch.

"Historically, even internal elements within India have dangerously suggested severing this critical passageway to isolate the Northeast from the mainland physically. Therefore, it is imperative to develop more robust railway and road networks both underneath and around the Chicken's Neck corridor. Additionally, exploring alternative road routes connecting the Northeast to mainland India, effectively bypassing the Chicken's Neck, should be prioritised," Mr Sarma said.

"Though this may pose significant engineering challenges, it is achievable with determination and innovation. Such provocative statements by Md Younis must not be taken lightly, as they reflect deeper strategic considerations and longstanding agendas," he added.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi wrote to Mr Yunus on March 26, wishing Bangladesh on its independence day. In his letter, the Prime Minister highlighted the significance of mutual sensitivity and said the Bangladesh Liberation War is a "shared history" between the two countries. "We remain committed to advancing this partnership, driven by our common aspirations for peace, stability, and prosperity, and based on mutual sensitivity to each other's interests and concerns," he wrote.