Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has urged Beijing to extend its economic influence to Bangladesh, controversially mentioning that India's northeastern states being landlocked could prove to be an opportunity.
The remark, apparently made during Yunus' recent four-day visit to China, surfaced on social media on Monday.
Yunus, who met President Xi Jinping and signed nine agreements with Beijing during the trip, said, “The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean.”
Calling Bangladesh as the “only guardian of the ocean” in the region, he said this could be a huge opportunity and could be an extension of the Chinese economy.
Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's economy advisory council, posted the video on X and questioned why Yunus mentioned India's northeastern region.
“Interesting that Yunus is making a public appeal to the Chinese on the basis that 7 states in India are land-locked. China is welcome to invest in Bangladesh, but what exactly is the significance of 7 Indian states being landlocked?” he said.
Yunus, while embarking on his return journey on Saturday, said in China that it is “important” for his country to see Beijing as a good friend.
“It's very important that we see China as our good friend,” Yunus said, projecting Beijing as a balancing factor against New Delhi. He expects bilateral relations to enter a new stage, Yunus told Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency in an interview.
After reaching China on March 26, Yunus spoke at Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Hainan and on March 27 joined several events on the sidelines.
On Saturday, Yunus received an honorary doctorate degree from Peking University (PKU) and also delivered a lecture on the occasion, the state-run news agency BSS said.
China and Bangladesh on Friday signed nine agreements after Yunus' meeting with President Xi Jinping during which the Bangladesh chief adviser highlighted student protests that led to regime change in Dhaka and urged Beijing to play a “greater role” in establishing peace and stability.
Additionally, Bangladesh secured a commitment of USD 2.1 billion in investments, loans and grants from the Chinese government and its companies.
Bangladesh welcomed Chinese companies to participate in the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP), according to a joint statement issued after the meeting between Yunus and Xi.
