SOURCE: AFI
A recently surfaced undated video featuring Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel laureate and interim Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, has ignited a firestorm of debate and concern in India. In the clip, which has gone viral across social media platforms 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.” These remarks, attributed to Yunus—who assumed power in Bangladesh following what critics describe as an illegal power grab after the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024—have raised alarm bells in India.
The statement is being interpreted as a veiled warning, especially given recurring calls from Bangladeshi student leaders and politicians for the annexation of India’s northeastern Seven Sisters to form a so-called “Greater Bangladesh.”
The undated video, lacking a precise timestamp or location, appears to capture Yunus addressing an audience, possibly during his tenure as Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government. His reference to the Seven Sisters—Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura—highlights their geographical isolation from the Bay of Bengal, surrounded by Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan, and China. By positioning Bangladesh as the “guardians of the ocean,” Yunus seems to underscore its strategic control over maritime access, a point that has fueled speculation about underlying territorial ambitions.
Yunus assumed leadership of Bangladesh’s interim government on August 8, 2024, following a student-led uprising that forced Sheikh Hasina to flee to India amid widespread protests. Critics, including Hasina’s Awami League and segments of the Indian establishment, have labeled his rise an unconstitutional seizure of power, orchestrated with support from student groups and tacit military backing. Since taking office, Yunus has faced scrutiny for his administration’s handling of domestic unrest and its implications for regional stability, particularly with India.
Yunus’ remarks in the video resonate with a long-standing narrative among some Bangladeshi factions advocating for a “Greater Bangladesh.” This concept envisions the annexation of India’s northeastern states, leveraging their ethnic and geographical proximity to Bangladesh. Over the years, student leaders, political figures, and even social media influencers in Bangladesh have periodically floated this idea, often citing historical grievances or demographic ties. In December 2024, Mahfuj Alam, a key aide to Yunus, sparked outrage with a now-deleted Facebook post suggesting the annexation of parts of eastern and northeastern India, prompting a stern protest from India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
The Seven Sisters, home to diverse ethnic groups and a history of insurgency, are indeed landlocked, relying on narrow corridors like the Siliguri “Chicken’s Neck” for connectivity to mainland India. Bangladesh’s position along the Bay of Bengal gives it a strategic edge, controlling maritime access that could theoretically choke off the Northeast in a conflict scenario. Yunus’ portrayal of Bangladesh as the “guardians” of this access has thus been interpreted by some as a subtle assertion of dominance—or worse, a precursor to territorial claims.
The viral video comes at a time of strained India-Bangladesh relations. Since Hasina’s ouster, bilateral ties have deteriorated over issues like attacks on Bangladesh’s Hindu minority, trade disruptions, and Dhaka’s perceived tilt toward China and Pakistan. Yunus’ leadership has been criticized in India for failing to curb anti-India rhetoric and for not addressing New Delhi’s security concerns, including the potential influx of illegal migrants across the porous border.
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