'What About Chittagong?' Tripura Royal Scion Reveals Bangladesh's Blind Spot After Muhammad Yunus' Comment

Tripura's Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Debbarman has issued a sharp counter to Bangladesh chief adviser Muhammad Yunus' "maritime gateway" comment.

Tripura's royal scion Mr Debbarman, whose party is an ally of the ruling BJP, warned Mr Yunus of potential territorial repercussions.

Mr Debbarman at a public gathering in Gomati district on Thursday said Mr Yunus has been working hard to align with China's interest by making "veiled threats" against India's northeast region.

The chief of the Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) has for a long time supported the cause of a Greater Tipraland that would unify the indigenous Tiprasa communities across the state and Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in Bangladesh.

The indigenous people of Tripura are capable of defending their land, he said.

"Yunus is making friendship with China and threatening this region...  challenge Bangladesh, if they dare to touch Tripura or northeast India, Bangladesh will be divided into small parts in two minutes and turned into Greater Tipraland," Mr Debbarman said at the gathering.

"Even during the royal era, the Nawabs could never defeat the Tripura army because of our unity," he added.

The Tipra Motha chief's comments came on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Bangladesh interim leader at the regional bloc BIMSTEC meeting in Thailand's Bangkok.

Mr Yunus, a Nobel laureate, took charge of Bangladesh in August 2024 after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was toppled.

India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said PM Modi expressed India's concerns over the safety and security of minorities, including Hindus in Bangladesh, during his meeting with Mr Yunus.

"PM Modi reiterated India's support for democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh. He underlined India's desire to forge a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh. The PM also urged that any rhetoric that vitiates the environment is best avoided," Mr Misri told reporters.

Mr Yunus had tried to jab New Delhi by issuing a veiled threat to India's northeastern states while appealing to China to "extend" in the region. The comments surfaced on social media after he returned home from a four-day visit to Beijing.

"The seven states of India, in the eastern part of India - called the seven sister states are completely landlocked. They have no way to reach the ocean. We (Bangladesh) are the only guardians of the ocean for the entire region (northeast India)," Mr Yunus was seen saying in the video. So, this opens up a huge possibility for China - this could become an extension of the Chinese economy. Build things, market them, take them back to China, or export to the rest of the world."