The recent comments by the political leaders in Bangladesh, in which they mentioned the Northeast of India and the strategic Siliguri Corridor, have been highly criticised by the former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as dangerous and indicative of increasing the influence of the extremists under the present Muhammad Yunus-led Government.
Her remark relates to a scandalous address by National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Hasnat Abdullah who stated that Bangladesh could act as a refuge to separatist groups against India and even cut off the seven northeastern states of India, popularly known as the Seven Sisters, to the rest of India. The area is linked to mainland India via the thin stretch of Siliguri Corridor in the West Bengal state, often referred to as the Chicken neck, one of the strongest strategic chokepoints in the world.
The chief of the Awami League, in an interview via email with a news agency referred to such rhetoric as irresponsible and quite worrying. No thoughtful political opinion leader would endanger a neighbouring state that Bangladesh draws so much of its trade, transit and regional stability, Hasina said, and that these statements are an instrument of extremist ideology not national interest in Bangladesh.
The words of Hasina are in the face of the latest unrest in Bangladesh over the death of the radical student leader Sharif Osman Hadi that has apparently sparked new episodes of violence. She pointed out that the anti-India stories spearheaded to people by some quarters do not reflect the opinion of the Bangladeshi nation.
She said that Bangladesh citizens realize that the future of the country in the long run is through good and good relations with India as far as peace, prosperity and security are concerned. Hasina insisted that India should be alarmed by such utterances especially with their possible effect on the stability in the region.
As an accusation against the current government, Hasina alleged that the poor relations between India and Bangladesh is due to the effort of Yunus. She alleged that the administration has made hostile messages towards India, and they have not succeeded in safeguarding the religious minorities.
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