A significant diplomatic row has erupted between India and Bangladesh following a provocative statement by Hasnat Abdullah, a senior leader of Bangladesh’s newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP).
Speaking at a public event in Dhaka, Abdullah warned that the country could offer sanctuary to anti-India forces and separatist groups to effectively “isolate” India’s northeastern region, commonly known as the ‘Seven Sisters’.
The aggressive remarks, which were met with applause from parts of the audience, have immediately reignited serious security concerns in New Delhi and been strongly condemned by Indian officials as irresponsible and dangerous rhetoric.
Reacting to this, Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma called the idea of merging Bangladesh with India “irresponsible and dangerous.” ”For the last one year, statements have been coming again and again from that country that the states of North East India should be separated and made a part of Bangladesh,” CM said.
Bangladesh Leader Threatens India
Hasnat Abdullah, a key figure in the recent mass uprising that overthrew the Awami League government, delivered the ultimatum by linking his government’s future cooperation to India’s conduct.
Abdullah was quoted as warning that if New Delhi continues to provide shelter to “forces that do not respect Bangladesh’s sovereignty, potential, voting rights, and human rights,”
“I want to make it clear to India that if you provide shelter to forces that do not respect Bangladesh’s sovereignty, potential, voting rights, and human rights, Bangladesh will respond,” Hasnat was quoted.
Dhaka will retaliate by offering sanctuary to Indian separatist elements. He ominously warned that any attempt by India to destabilise Bangladesh would result in the “fire of resistance” spreading beyond its borders, asserting Bangladesh’s determination to resist what he termed as “vultures” seeking control after 54 years of independence.
Assam CM Reaction
The threat was met with immediate and harsh condemnation from India. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma termed the NCP leader’s comments as both “irresponsible and dangerous,” asserting that India would not tolerate such hostile posturing.
Sarma pointed out that statements suggesting the separation or merger of the Northeast with Bangladesh have been repeatedly surfacing over the last year.
Underscoring India’s standing, the Chief Minister emphatically stated, “We are a very big country, a nuclear nation and the world’s fourth-largest economy. How can Bangladesh even think about it?”
He concluded with a sharp warning that India “will not remain silent” and may need to “teach them a lesson” if the hostile behaviour persists.
Geopolitical Sensitivity of India’s Northeast
The controversy specifically threatens the geopolitical stability of India’s Northeast, a region comprising Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura. Four of these states share a land border with Bangladesh, making the entire region highly sensitive to cross-border security issues.
Abdullah’s argument centred on the Northeast’s geographical vulnerability, which relies on the narrow Siliguri Corridor or ‘Chicken’s Neck’ for connectivity to the rest of India.
The prospect of sheltering separatist groups directly revives painful memories from the late 1990s and early 2000s, when outfits like the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) reportedly operated from Bangladeshi soil, using it as a safe transit route and logistical base to evade Indian security forces.
Cross-Border Cooperation
The security relationship between the two nations had seen substantial improvement after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s return to power in 2009. Her government launched a sustained and effective crackdown on numerous anti-India insurgent and extremist groups, leading to a period of enhanced security cooperation between Dhaka and New Delhi.
This history highlights a delicate security equilibrium that the NCP leader’s recent remarks directly imperil. The sudden and aggressive change in rhetoric reflects the high political stakes and volatility in the relationship, which has been severely strained following the recent change in power in Bangladesh and the subsequent exile of Hasina to India.
Fuel for Political Turbulence
The political backdrop in Bangladesh is crucial to understanding this controversy. Hasnat Abdullah’s NCP emerged from the massive student-led protests that deposed Hasina’s government.
Their rhetoric has consistently been anti-establishment, often making allegations of foreign interference, particularly from India, which is perceived by some in the new political setup as having been too close to the previous regime.
These controversial remarks, therefore, serve a dual purpose: they challenge India’s perceived influence in Bangladesh’s domestic affairs while simultaneously consolidating nationalist support for the NCP among its domestic base.
The diplomatic fallout, however, risks undermining the broader regional stability that both nations need for trade and development.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Hasnat Abdullah’s rhetoric is highly alarming, not only for its explicit threat to regional security but also for its blatant disregard for established diplomatic norms and the spirit of amity between two nations.
Such statements, especially those encouraging separatism, undermine the shared history and interdependence of India and Bangladesh.
The Logical Indian advocates for immediate, high-level diplomatic dialogue to de-escalate this tension. Both governments must firmly commit to peace, harmony, and mutual respect, isolating elements that seek to destabilise the region for political gain.
