Why Bangladesh’s China outreach near Siliguri is red flag for India

Siliguri Corridor or Chicken Neck. (Representative Image)

In what could be termed as a deliberate attempt to antagonize India over the issue of seven states in the North East, collectively called the “seven sisters”, Bangladesh took a Chinese envoy to a Teesta project site located near the Siliguri corridor or Chicken’s Neck. The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen to the project site in Rangpur’s Tepamadhupur Taluk Shahbazpur. The ambassador was accompanied by Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Bangladesh’s water resources advisor. Later, for damage control purposes, the government said Yao Wen’s visit was focused on a technical assessment for the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project.

India-Bangladesh Relations

“Discussions included the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project and the Bangladesh-China Friendship Hospital proposal,” the interim government said in a statement. he said. “In this context, the Chinese ambassador announced that he will visit the Teesta project area and reiterated China’s determination to quickly complete the ongoing technical evaluation,” the statement said.

(Syeda Rezwana Hasan with Yao Ben.)

Analysts believe the seemingly normal visit carries a deeper meaning, given previous comments about the seven sisters by politicians, government officials and advisers, including the chief counsel. Mohammed Younis, during his visit to China on March 26-29, said that Northeast India is “landlocked” and Dhaka is the “sole guardian of the ocean for this entire region”. Talking to a journalist, he said: “The seven states of Eastern India, known as the Seven Sisters, are a landlocked region. They have no direct access to the ocean.” The Nobel Prize-winning economist added: “We are the sole guardians of the ocean in this entire region. This opens up a huge opportunity. This could become an extension of the Chinese economy; it could build things, produce things, market things, bring goods to China and export them to the rest of the world.”

Siliguri Corridor, Chicken Neck

Similarly, Major General (retired) ALM Fazlur Rahman, former chief of Bangladesh Rifles, made an extremely brazenly provocative statement. He took to social media and wrote in a post on Facebook, “If India attacks Pakistan, Bangladesh should occupy seven states of North East India. In this regard, I think it is necessary to start a discussion on a joint military system with China.”

“Chicken’s Neck” is a piece of land around the city of Siliguri in West Bengal, India. This geopolitical and geoeconomic corridor, about 20-22 kilometers in its narrowest part, connects seven states in India’s north-east with the rest of India. Nepal and Bangladesh are located on either side of the corridor, and Bhutan is located at the northern end of the corridor. Considering the sensitivity of the region, India is considering the idea of ​​building railway lines through Jogbani in Bihar. This line will enter Biratnagar in Nepal and then connect to New Mal Junction in West Bengal.