S Jaishankar Criticizes Bangladesh’s ‘Landlocked’ Claim as ‘Cherry-Picking’

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Jaishankar firmly responded to Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus' remarks during his visit to China, where he referred to the Northeast as 'landlocked' and Bangladesh as the 'sole guardian of the ocean.' Jaishankar emphasized that "cooperation is not about cherry-picking."

In a statement, Jaishankar remarked, “We, after all, have the longest coastline in the Bay of Bengal, of almost 6,500 km. India shares borders not only with five BIMSTEC members, connects most of them, but also provides much of the interface between the Indian sub-continent and ASEAN. Our North-Eastern region in particular is emerging as a connectivity hub for the BIMSTEC, with a myriad network of roads, railways, waterways, grids and pipelines.”

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar(@DrSJaishankar)

The EAM emphasized that nations should collaborate on all critical matters instead of selectively engaging based on their own interests.

“We are conscious that our cooperation and facilitation are an essential prerequisite for the smooth flow of goods, services and people in this larger geography. Keeping this geo-strategic factor in mind, we have devoted increasing energies and attention to the strengthening of BIMSTEC in the last decadem” he said.

“We also believe that cooperation is an integrated outlook, not one subject to cherry-picking.”

What did Yunus say?

During his visit to China, Muhammad Yunus encouraged Beijing to expand its economic influence in Bangladesh, controversially referencing the Northeast states of neighboring India. He 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.”

Referring to Bangladesh as the “sole guardian of the ocean” in the region, Yunus highlighted this as a significant opportunity and a potential extension of the Chinese economy.

As Yunus' statements about the Northeast gained traction on social media, they sparked strong political backlash in the country.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma denounced the remarks as ‘offensive,’ while former Manipur CM Biren Singh accused Bangladesh of treating the region as a strategic pawn.

(This Article was originally published by Mint)