NEW DELHI (Diya TV) — Muhammad Yunus, the ruling caretaker administration’s top advisor, has landed in controversy through comments he issued on his latest four-day stay in China during which he exhorted Beijing to increase its economic footprint in Bangladesh. In an online video gone viral, Yunus referred to the landlocked status of northeastern Indian states as an indication Bangladesh is the gateway of the entire region to the sea.
“The seven Indian states, the eastern region of India, are named the Seven Sisters. They are a landlocked area of India. They have no means to access the ocean,” Yunus said in the video. He went on to add, “We are the sole caretaker of the ocean for this entire region. So this throws open a grand possibility. This can be an extension of the Chinese economy. Build things, make things, sell things, bring things to China, and take them out to the rest of the world.
The comments have drawn criticism from Indian officials and experts. Economic Advisory Council member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sanjeev Sanyal, challenged Yunus’s intentions. Sharing the clip on social media platform X, Sanyal stated, “Interesting that Yunus is going public with an appeal to the Chinese because 7 Indian states are land-locked.
China is free to invest in Bangladesh, but what is the big deal about 7 Indian states being landlocked? Defense experts have also raised their voice of alarm. Dhruv Katoch stated, “He had no business talking about India. If we have connectivity issues and the way we are connected to the oceans, that’s a problem for our government, and we are working on that.
The Kaladan River project will be completed shortly. As far as access to the sea is concerned, we don’t need Bangladesh.” Katoch inferred that Yunus’s remarks are an attempt to present Bangladesh as a strategic gateway for Chinese economic interests in the region.
During his visit, Yunus held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and asked China to share its experience in river water management, especially the Teesta River. He wanted to gain experience in how China turned water resources into something people could benefit from. Bangladesh and China also talked about increasing maritime cooperation and the signing of an implementation plan for the exchange of hydrological information for the Yarlung Zangbo-Jamuna River.
The tour also witnessed mega Chinese investments in Bangladesh, which include promises of about $400 million for Mongla seaport development, $350 million for the development of the Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone (CEIZ) in Chattogram, and another $150 million in the form of technical assistance.
Critics, such as retired defense analyst Captain Anil Gaur, had attributed Yunus’s moves towards China to China’s economic assistance following Bangladesh’s economic crisis. Yunus’s moves towards China, according to Gaur, are a shift in policy towards looking for economic assistance.
