IBNS-CMEDIA: Bangladesh’s interim government chief Muhammad Yunus once again stirred debate by invoking the term “Seven Sisters” — a reference to India’s northeastern states — without naming India, while highlighting the region’s “immense economic potential” in his farewell address.
“Our open sea is not only a geographical boundary, it also remains an open door to engage with the world economy for Bangladesh,” Yunus said. “This region, along with Nepal, Bhutan and the Seven Sisters, has immense economic potential.”
Yunus made the remarks in his final speech to the nation a day before handing over power to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which returned to office after securing victory in the general elections.
Tarique Rahman, who is set to assume office as Prime Minister after 17 years in exile, will take the oath on Tuesday.
The comments revived memories of a video that went viral last year, in which Yunus made a geopolitical pitch involving India’s Northeast. “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… This opens up a huge possibility. This could be an extension for the Chinese economy.”
His reference to the strategically sensitive ‘Chicken’s Neck’ corridor had triggered sharp reactions from political leaders across India’s Northeast.
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar strongly rebutted Yunus’s remarks at the time. “We have the longest coastline in the Bay of Bengal, almost 6,500 km. Our Northeast is emerging as a connectivity hub for BIMSTEC, with a myriad of roads, railways, waterways, power grids and pipelines,” Jaishankar had asserted.
Meanwhile, Om Birla will represent India at Rahman’s swearing-in ceremony. Confirming his participation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement: “Shri Om Birla, Hon’ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha, will represent the Government of India at the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected government of Bangladesh led by H.E. Mr. Tarique Rahman, Chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, in Dhaka on February 17, 2026.”
