SOURCE: AFI
In a recurring pattern that has raised eyebrows in India, Bangladeshi politicians and public figures have once again been vocal about their perceived ability to annex India’s northeastern Seven Sisters—Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura. These provocative statements, often amplified by student leaders and social media influencers in Bangladesh, have been interpreted as a deliberate attempt to provoke India. However, defence analyst Ranesh Rajan, speaking to idrw.org, has dismissed these claims as a “dumb move” by an “illegal government” in Bangladesh, suggesting that India should ignore the rhetoric as a desperate bid to cling to power.
The latest controversy stems from a recently surfaced undated video of Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel laureate and interim Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, who assumed power following the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. In the video, which went viral on social media as of March 31, 2025, Yunus is heard stating, “The Seven Sisters are the landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean, and we [Bangladesh] are the only guardians of the ocean.” This statement has been widely interpreted as a veiled warning, with Yunus positioning Bangladesh as a gatekeeper of maritime access for India’s Northeast—a region surrounded by Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan, and China, and connected to mainland India only through the narrow Siliguri Corridor, often referred to as the “Chicken’s Neck.”
Yunus’ remarks are not an isolated incident. Over the years, the concept of a “Greater Bangladesh” has been floated by various Bangladeshi factions, envisioning the annexation of India’s northeastern states due to their ethnic and geographical proximity to Bangladesh. In December 2024, Mahfuj Alam, a key aide to Yunus, caused a stir with a now-deleted Facebook post suggesting the annexation of parts of eastern and northeastern India, prompting a strong protest from India’s Ministry of External Affairs. These recurring provocations have fueled speculation about Bangladesh’s territorial ambitions, particularly at a time when India-Bangladesh relations are already strained over issues like attacks on Bangladesh’s Hindu minority, trade disruptions, and Dhaka’s perceived tilt toward China and Pakistan.
Ranesh Rajan, a prominent defence analyst, has urged India to dismiss these statements as political posturing rather than a credible threat. Speaking to idrw.org, Rajan argued that the interim government in Bangladesh, which he describes as “illegal” due to its controversial rise to power following Hasina’s ouster, is using anti-India rhetoric as a tool to consolidate domestic support and distract from its own legitimacy crisis. “Time and again, Bangladeshi politicians have been talking about how they can take India’s Seven Sisters of the Northeast, but this is rather a dumb move to provoke India,” Rajan said. “The illegal government in Bangladesh can continue to stay in power by creating such distractions, but India should ignore it.”
Rajan’s assessment aligns with broader concerns about the political instability in Bangladesh. Since Hasina’s departure, the interim government led by Yunus has struggled to maintain stability, facing criticism for its inability to curb anti-India sentiment and address India’s security concerns, including the potential influx of illegal migrants across the porous border. The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), representing eight student bodies from the seven northeastern states, recently urged India’s Home Minister Amit Shah to prevent any Bangladeshi nationals from seeking shelter in the region, citing the risk of mass illegal immigration amid Bangladesh’s ongoing crisis. The NESO highlighted the region’s vulnerability, noting that four states—Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Mizoram—share a vast boundary with Bangladesh, making the area particularly susceptible to cross-border movements.
The Seven Sisters’ geographical isolation has long been a point of strategic concern for India. The region’s reliance on the Siliguri Corridor for connectivity to the rest of the country makes it a potential chokepoint in any conflict scenario. Bangladesh’s position along the Bay of Bengal gives it a theoretical ability to control maritime access, a point Yunus emphasized in his statement. However, Rajan argues that such rhetoric is more about political survival than a realistic military or strategic ambition. “Bangladesh lacks the military capability to challenge India in any meaningful way,” he told idrw.org. “Provoking India, a regional power with a far superior military, is a self-defeating strategy that only exposes the interim government’s desperation.”
India-Bangladesh relations have seen better days. Under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership, the two countries enjoyed a period of relative stability, with cooperation on issues like border security, trade, and counter-terrorism. However, Hasina’s ouster and the subsequent rise of Yunus’ interim government have led to a deterioration in ties. Reports of attacks on Bangladesh’s Hindu minority, coupled with Dhaka’s growing alignment with China and Pakistan, have heightened tensions. India has also expressed concerns over the interim government’s failure to address anti-India rhetoric, which has been a recurring theme in Bangladesh’s domestic politics.
Historically, Bangladeshi politicians have used anti-India sentiment as a tool to rally domestic support, particularly during times of political uncertainty. In the lead-up to the 2023 Bangladesh elections, the opposition Bangladesh National Party (BNP) intensified its rhetoric, raising fears of a Sri Lanka-style economic meltdown to discredit Hasina’s Awami League government. The current interim government appears to be employing a similar tactic, using provocative statements about India’s Northeast to divert attention from its own governance challenges. However, this strategy risks further alienating India, a key neighbor and economic partner, at a time when Bangladesh can ill afford to do so.
Rajan’s call for India to ignore these provocations is rooted in a pragmatic assessment of the situation. India, with its focus on modernizing its military and strengthening its strategic position in the Indo-Pacific, has little to gain from engaging with what he sees as empty rhetoric. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is already pursuing indigenous programs like the Tejas MkII and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), while the Army is bolstering its artillery capabilities with systems like the ATAGS. In contrast, Bangladesh’s military capabilities remain limited, and its interim government faces significant domestic and international challenges.
Moreover, India’s strategic priorities lie elsewhere—countering China’s growing influence in the region and maintaining stability along its northern borders. The Seven Sisters, while a sensitive region due to its history of insurgency and ethnic diversity, are well within India’s control, with robust security measures in place to prevent any external interference. Rajan believes that engaging with Bangladesh’s provocations would only play into the interim government’s hands, giving it the attention it seeks to bolster its domestic standing.
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