Pradyot Manikya Debbarma, the leader of India’s Tripura Motha Party, has strongly reacted to a recent statement by Bangladesh’s chief adviser, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, and even threatened to break up Bangladesh.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Debbarma stated that instead of improving connectivity between Northeast India and the rest of the country, India should take control of Bangladesh’s Chattogram region. He claimed that this would eliminate geographical isolation and provide the northeastern states with a direct seaport.
Dr. Yunus, during a recent visit to China, had remarked that the northeastern states of India, known as the Seven Sisters, are landlocked and have no direct access to the sea, making Bangladesh their only maritime gateway. He suggested that this could be an economic opportunity for China as well.
In response, Assam’s Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, stated that Yunus’ remarks highlighted India’s strategic vulnerability regarding the Siliguri Corridor, also known as the “Chicken’s Neck.” He urged the central government to strengthen road and rail networks in the area.
Following Sarma’s reaction, Debbarma escalated the rhetoric by suggesting that India should reclaim Chattogram with the support of indigenous groups in Bangladesh’s Chattogram Hill Tracts. He argued that India’s biggest mistake was allowing Chattogram to become part of Pakistan in 1947, despite its indigenous population wanting to join India.
He further claimed that instead of spending billions on infrastructure, India could break up Bangladesh to secure access to the sea. He mentioned that millions of Tripura, Garo, Khasi, and Chakma people live in Bangladesh and would support such a move for their own interests.
Chattogram is approximately 75 kilometers from Tripura, and Debbarma asserted that reclaiming it would correct a historical mistake.
