The Liberation War of 1971 not only secured Bangladesh’s independence from the oppressive rule of East Pakistan but also transformed the historical and geopolitical landscape of the subcontinent. However, this achievement would not have been feasible without India’s support, which acted as a true friend and revitalized the fading aspirations of the Bengali people through their freedom. The relationship between the two nations persisted amicably under various administrations, despite its share of challenges.

However, the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has led to a significant downturn in the diplomatic ties between the two nations, primarily due to the Islamist ideology of the current regime under Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus which is not only watching silently the brutal persecution of Hindus and other minorities but is also determined to damage its relationship with India by making regular confrontational statements and hostile remarks.

Bangladesh eyes the seven sisters, invites China

A recent example of this was evident during Yunus’s visit to China, where he called on Beijing to explore an “extension” in the region, mentioning that the seven northeastern states of India are landlocked. “The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura). They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean,” he claimed while encouraging China to establish an economic foothold in Bangladesh by leveraging its strategic position as the “only guardian of the ocean” in the region.

“We are the only guardian of the ocean for all this region. So this opens up a huge possibility. So this could be an extension of the Chinese economy, build things, produce things, market things, bring things to China and bring it out to the whole rest of the world. That’s a production house for you,” he stated in a bid to lure the communist government to invest in his country.

“That’s an opportunity we should seize and implement. Nepal and Bhutan have unlimited hydropower, which is a blessing. We can bring it to our purpose. From Bangladesh, you can go anywhere you want. The ocean is our backyard,” Yunus conveyed.

Yunus is aware that India would be concerned about China’s increasing influence in its immediate neighbourhood owing to its expansionist tendencies. Bangladesh holds strategic significance for India, as multiple locations within the nation lie near the “Siliguri Corridor,” often known as the “Chicken’s Neck,” a narrow stretch of territory that links the northeastern states with the rest of the country.

It is important to note that this is not the first occasion on which he has made an outrageous statement to undermine India’s sovereignty and unduly amplified Bangladesh’s overreach. “If you destabilise Bangladesh, it will spill over all around Bangladesh, including Myanmar and seven sisters in West Bengal,” he threatened in an interview with NDTV, last August. It will be a volcanic eruption everywhere around us and in Myanmar and it would be a bigger problem because a million Rohingyas are in here,” he further warned.

Yunus took a special flight on 26th March, which was Bangladesh’s Independence Day, to begin a four-day official visit to China. During the trip, he signed a number of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and met Chinese Premier Xi Jinping. Dhaka’s top foreign ministry officer, Mohammad Jashim Uddin highlighted, “Muhammad Yunus has chosen China for his first state visit and with this Bangladesh is sending a message.” The remarks made by Yunus during the visit serve as a clear representation of the intended message.

Yunus’ suspicious remarks set off alarm

As was expected, the remarks drew criticism in India, with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma denouncing them as “offensive and strongly condemnable.” He emphasized the necessity of fortifying the Siliguri Corridor through the establishment of strong railway and road infrastructures both beneath and surrounding the area. “Historically, even internal elements within India have dangerously suggested severing this critical passageway to isolate the Northeast from the mainland physically,” he also pointed out.

Sarma added that “exploring alternative road routes connecting the northeast to mainland India, effectively bypassing the Chicken’s Neck, should be prioritized.” He further stressed, “Such provocative statements by Muhammad Yunus must not be taken lightly, as they reflect deeper strategic considerations and longstanding agendas.

The statement made by Md Younis of Bangladesh so called interim Government referring to the seven sister states of Northeast India as landlocked and positioning Bangladesh as their guardian of ocean access, is offensive and strongly condemnable. This remark underscores the…

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 1, 2025

A political and security analyst Chris Blackburn termed the remark as “very disturbing and needs clarification.” He raised the question of whether Yunus was advocating for China’s involvement in India’s seven sister states.

It is very disturbing and needs clarification. Is Yunus publicly calling for China to get involved in the Seven Sister states of India? https://t.co/9jIqBxfGqO

— Chris Blackburn (@CJBdingo25) March 31, 2025

Sanjeev Sanyal, an economist from India and a member of the Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister Narendra Modi also responded to the development. He wrote, “Interesting that Yunus is making a public appeal to the Chinese on the basis that 7 states in India are land-locked,” and questioned the significance of his statement.

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? https://t.co/JHQAdIzI9s

— Sanjeev Sanyal (@sanjeevsanyal) March 31, 2025

Chicken’s Neck and strategic depth

The 20-kilometer-wide Siliguri Corridor, popularly known as the “Chicken’s Neck,” is the sole link between India and the northeast (north east) which is landlocked and covers an area of 2.62 lakh square kilometers, or roughly 8% of India’s total landmass. It encompasses the northern region of Uttar Dinajpur district and the southern area of Darjeeling district, bordered by Bangladesh to the east and the predominantly Muslim-majority districts of Kishanganj and Purnea in Bihar to the west.

99% of its borders are in proximity to its five neighboring countries: China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal and the remaining 1% of the land boundary through the corridor becomes an essential conduit for the security and economic prosperity. Northeast India depends on the Siliguri Corridor for nearly all of its needs, including food, medications, equipment, and building supplies. It takes a long time and costs significantly to transport items to the region from the rest of the nation.

Northeast could become isolated from the rest of India if this route were attacked or blocked. Hence, the corridor’s vulnerability continues to be major concern, particularly in light of China’s expanding influence nearby. This sentiment has been echoed by numerous experts, including senior military officials. The former Chief of Army Staff, General Manoj Pande, classified the corridor as “sensitive” and a major security priority for India.

During a conclave in last October, Lieutenant General Rana Pratap Kalita, former chief of the Eastern Command expressed that conflict in Myanmar and political instability in Bangladesh have impeded other routes such as the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project and connectivity via the Chittagong port to Tripura due to which the Siliguri Corridor has become an even more vital channel.

He outlined China’s growing impact in Myanmar through the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CEMEC), which gives Beijing more clout in the area. The growing number of Chinese laborers, especially in the Rangpur Division of Northern Bangladesh in Dinajpur was an equally troublesome issue. He believed that these infrastructure projects, which are inconveniently near the Siliguri Corridor, might be a front for military or geopolitical objectives.

China’s growing influence in eastern Nepal, especially in projects near the corridor, also present a serious security risk because of India and Nepal’s porous borders. During the 73-day Doklam conflict in 2017, China aggressively pushed through Bhutan with the goal of securing the corridor, however, India prevailed in the stand off. The heightened Chinese activity in the Chumbi Valley of Tibet, which is in close proximity to the Siliguri Corridor, underscores the importance of securing this region.

According to General Kalita who quoted multiple reports, China has been building extensive infrastructure in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). These include airfields and military bases in addition to transportation networks, putting its military power in close vicinity to the Siliguri Corridor. China has constructed vital infrastructure, villages, and dams along the Arunachal Pradesh border which it claims to be part of “South Tibet.”

China reportedly built 90 new hamlets close to Arunachal along the LAC  (Line of Actual Control). More than 600 of these settlements have already emerged between 2018 and 2022. Satellite photos taken in May 2024 show development in places like Majiduncun and Zhuangnan, where there are both civilian and military infrastructure. Many communities, like those in the Tibet Autonomous Region’s Lhokha prefecture and the vicinity of Nyingchi (near Arunachal), lie between 5 and 30 kilometers from the LAC.

“If you construct everything on a map, the Chinese intrusion in western Bhutan, their activities in eastern Nepal, and northern Bangladesh will depict moves that point to the Siliguri Corridor,” he explained. This tiny patch of land is critical for both security and economic reasons because more than a million vehicles use it every day, carrying about 2,400 metric tons of cargo and bringing in ₹142 crores in revenue.

“The Chinese will continue to be aggressive in their border management,” he noted, asserting that China has been using a tactic known as “salami slicing” in recent years, which involves making tiny, gradual efforts to increase control without immediately starting a major conflict.

Bangladesh and India have some transit agreements in place that allow the latter to use its ports, waterways, rail system and highways to facilitate travel to the Northeast. This has led to the transportation of certain items to the area via the Bangladesh’s rivers, its highways and the Chittagong port in exchange for huge revenue. Nonetheless, relying on Bangladesh is always treacherous because the transit agreements between nations are susceptible to being sabotaged by its turbulent politics.

An antagonistic government in Dhaka could revoke the accords and the present administration is revealing glaring signs of the stormy times that could emerge between the two neighbours.

India’s internal and external adversaries have been eyeing Siliguri Corridor

In India’s geography, the Siliguri Corridor is a painfully exposed artery. Every map view is a reminder of how precarious its economic and physical ties to the rest of the nation are. More importantly, India’s foes have detected this weakness and have periodically swooped in like sharks to exploit it. China’s aggressions, frequent threats issued by Muhammad Yunus regarding the seven sisters and statements from Islamist groups within the nation serve as a bleak reminder of the same.

Notably, the Siliguri Corridor’s vulnerability came into the national spotlight during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), when Sharjeel Imam urged Muslims to protest and sever the Chicken’s Neck with the objective to cut off Assam and the Northeast from the rest of India. “The time has come when we should tell non-Muslims that if they sympathise with us, then they must stand with us on our terms. If they can’t agree to our terms, they can’t sympathise with us,” he declared.

“I have said it in the past that if we can organise five lakh people, we will be able to permanently cut off Assam from India. If not permanently, then at least for a month or two. Create ruckus on railway tracks and roads so that it takes them (government) at least a month to clear things on ground. It is our responsibility to isolate Assam. They (government) will hear us only if we isolate Assam and India,” he voiced his nefarious agenda before the audience.

“The plight of Muslims in Assam is known to all of us. CAA and NRC (National Register of Citizens) have been implemented there. People are already being sent to detention centres. There is a bloodbath going on there. In six-eight months, you may find out that all Bengalis have been killed. So, if we want to help Assam, then we will have to block the way for the Army to reach there and also stop the supplies,” he contributed to the lies to fuel a violent uprising against India.

Imam then concluded, “We can do this. The Chicken’s Neck corridor that connects the Northeast with rest of India is inhabited primarily by Muslims. Remember, if the masses are angry, then that anger must be used for productive purpose. This is our responsibility. We should use this anger productively and not waste it on photo sessions.”

The tiny corridor remained firmly Hindu-majority until just thirty years ago. However, the unrestricted immigration of Rohingyas and thousands of Bangladeshi Muslims has drastically changed the region’s demographic makeup in recent years. Due to the massive influx of Muslims from Bangladesh and Myanmar, all of the districts in North Bengal and Assam that border Bangladesh now have a majority of Muslims.

A former joint director of Intelligence Bureau (IB) pointed out, “This demographic change in vast parts of North Bengal has become an acute issue and poses a grave and existential threat to national security. Many reports outlining this threat have been submitted by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and other agencies to the Union Government over the past couple of decades,” reported Swarajya in 2024.

Islamist groups with strong ties to jihadi outfits, such as the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), which is associated with al Qaeda and the ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) affiliates in Bangladesh have also strategized to choke the corridor. These groups have been organizing large Muslim gatherings in the Chicken’s Neck and surrounding regions of Bihar and Bengal in an effort to radicalize the local population. These gatherings have been attended by radical Islamist speakers who have been inciting anti-Indian sentiments in the populace.

“The Muslims living in this area, all of them illegal infiltrators or descendants of infiltrators from Bangladesh and Myanmar, are being told they should assert themselves against India which persecutes Muslims. They are being told that they are in a majority in that region and have to wield force to defeat the Indian state and help establish Islamic rule. Many speakers from Bangladesh have been advocating the merger of this region with Bangladesh,” the former top cop disclosed.

He unveiled, “The Islamist blueprint for choking the corridor will include attacks on government installations and security forces and declaring the corridor as a liberated zone. The masterminds behind this know that a harsh retaliation by the Indian state is inevitable, and such a retaliation will result in a  lot of bloodshed. That is also part of their plan because it will then result in international attention being focused on the Muslim-majority region. The Muslims will then play the victim card and seek intervention by other powers.”

A serving deputy director of the IB mentioned, “As per the blueprint of the Islamists who advocate Ghazwa-e-Hind, crucial moves like launching subversive anti-Indian activities in the Chicken’s Neck corridor by disrupting communications and attacking and destroying vital installations will be activated an an opportune time when India will face internal or external threats.”

“The calculation is that at such times, the government cannot utilise all the power at its command to neutralise the revolt in the corridor. Prolonged trouble in the corridor may then invite intervention by external powers and international attention and can result in the corridor being severed from India,” the official added.

“It is not just the Muslims living in the Chicken’s Neck corridor who will revolt as per the plan of the Islamists. Their co-religionists living in Kishanganj and Purnea districts of Bihar, who are also infiltrators or descendants of infiltrators from Bangladesh, will also join in the revolt and all of them will get ready support from Muslims living next door in Bangladesh. This is a diabolical plan that will imperil India’s integrity if we continue to ignore the threat,” the retired official remarked.

Modi government’s initiative to secure the Chicken’s Neck, seven sisters

In February, Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that the Modi administration is fully cognizant of the risks facing the corridor and has developed a strategy to maintain seamless connectivity to the Northeast. He announced that the Indian Railways will be building four additional railway tracks across the Chicken Neck to improve connectivity. Furthermore, there are plans to introduce two more railway lines to the corridor soon, thereby reinforcing the railway infrastructure to Assam and other regions.

Several anti national forces have threatened to block the “Chicken Neck” in order to cut off the North East from the rest of India.

The Modi Government now has a roadmap to permanently neutralise such threats.#AdvantageAssam2 pic.twitter.com/gq8iymmnBd

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) February 25, 2025

Threats from anti-national organizations that have previously sought to disrupt the corridor are being closely monitored by the authorities. The region’s border security has been strengthened, guaranteeing the safe movement of people and products. The government’s commitment to increasing investments in the Northeast and guaranteeing its economic connectivity with the rest of the nation had been highlighted during the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit. Meanwhile, Assam’s reliance on a single access point will be further diminished by increased connectivity, which will support regional trade, tourism and economic expansion.

India is looking into building a multimodal transportation corridor via Siliguri, which might include high-speed rail connections and subterranean traffic tunnels. One of the biggest infrastructure projects in India is the Arunachal Frontier Highway, also known as National Highway 913 (NH-913), which is expected to cost ₹ 42,000 crore. The roadway is a strategic response to China’s aggressive expansionism and development blitz in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Last year, Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Union Minister for the Development of the North Eastern Region, praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for the northeast’s exemplary growth and emphasized the region’s notable infrastructure advancements, including the construction of over 16,000 kilometres of national highways and the expansion of railways, airports, and waterways. “In the last 10 years, we have built almost five and a half thousand kilometres of national highways. A region that has only 10,000 kilometres of national highways today has 16,000 kilometres of national highways,” Scindia stated.

He added, “In 60 years what was built? 60 per cent of that has been built in 10 years. 45,000 kilometres of Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sarak Yojana have been built in the last 10 years for 50,000 crores. That is as far as highways are concerned. If you look at railways, the pace of building railway tracks was roughly about 6.5 kilometres a month. It has now grown to over 19 kilometres a month. In the last 10 years, 2,000 kilometres of railway tracks have been built.”

According to him, the Northeast states had nine airports in his previous civil aviation portfolio, but now there are seventeen. “In the northeast three to four states are already connected by railways and we will connect the balance in the next two to three years. 19 projects are ongoing railways, close to about 88,000 crores worth of projects. Similarly, in my last portfolio in the area of civil aviation, we had nine airports,” the union minister noted.

“Today we have 17 airports. We had thousands of air traffic movements per week to the northeast in 2014. Today we have 1990 traffic movements in the northeast which means it’s almost more than doubled. We had a single waterway for transport in the northeast. Today we have 20 waterways for transport in the northeast,” he highlighted.

A dirty British ploy

The Siliguri Corridor is a cartographic remnant of the British Empire, much like the majority of South Asian borders. They drew the lines that lead to the Siliguri to preserve the border between Bengal and Assam when they withdrew and divided the country along religious lines to become the present states of India and Pakistan (which were subsequently split into East and West Pakistan).

In 1905, the British divided Bengal to manage the growing wave of nationalism, as it was the focal point of the freedom struggle during that period. The provinces were reunited in 1911, but the groundwork for partition had already been laid, leading to the Second Partition in 1947, which resulted in the foundation of a separate nation which was largerly opposed by the Hindus.

However, the conspiracy’s roots originated in the British strategy of “divide and rule,” aimed at undermining the growing wave of Indian nationalism and creating a rift between the Hindu and Muslim populations. This tactic was employed repeatedly, often in collaboration with radical Muslim factions, ultimately culminating in the partition of the nation. The concept of Pakistan was initially introduced by Indian Muslim students at Cambridge University in 1930.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the father of Pakistan, had advocated for the division to establish Pakistan as a Muslim homeland to avoid living in a predominantly Hindu state. British imperialists, particularly former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, supported him because they believed Pakistan would be a loyal ally of the West and a barrier between the Soviet Union and India. The empire had long opposed democratization and had made it a policy to institutionalize identitarian divisions among its colonise to centralise its power. 

The calculated “divide and rule” approach of the Britishers repeatedly transmogrified into violence and ultimately lead to the bifurcation of the country which later turned into trisection as Bangladesh was carved out of Pakistan. The British divided India along religious lines, shattered the country arbitrarily and divided territory for Muslims, rather than returning the country to its original natives.

The British, acknowledged for their favoritism towards Muslims, devised a ruthless and divisive scheme, intensifying strife along religious and communal boundaries. As a result, following the partition, the aftermath was characterized not by animosity and violence, but also by the emergence of two Islamist neighbors, terrorism and significant geographical, demographic and diplomatic challenges for India.

Partition is the single cause for the northeast’s estrangement from the rest of India, their permanent landlocked status, lack of development over decades and almost surrender to China. The partition severed the region’s long-standing access to the sea via the port of Chittagong, which became part of East Pakistan in 1947. This disruption affected the natural routes for riverine transport, as well as the rail and road systems that connected the region, leading to negative economic consequences.

Consequently, this area became isolated from mainland India, resulting in a lack of support and attention from New Delhi, which significantly contributed to its underdevelopment and left it vulnerable to both home and foreign threats.

Discrimination against indigenious people and looming Islamist threat

East Pakistan was divided from Pakistan by a 1,000-mile section of India. It was also ethnically and linguistically distinct from the rest of Pakistan. The East Pakistanis are mainly Bengali whereas Pakistanis are largely Pashtun and Punjabi. The cultural heritage of the Bengali people is deeply entrenched in history, with approximately 98% of the population in Bangladesh identifying as Bengali in ethnicity. These major differences were a major source of contention between the two sides of the same country.

Notably, the eastern region of ancient India, which largely corresponds to present-day Bangladesh, was included in one of the mahajanapadas, specifically the ancient kingdom of Anga, that thrived during the 6th century BC. Bangadesh was a part of many ancient Indian kingdoms including the Mauryan and Gupta empires.

The Chittagong Hill Tracts region of Bangladesh is home to several Indian tribal groups, including the Chakma, Santal, Garo, and Tripura, who are acknowledged as indigenous or ethnic minorities. Over 54 indigenous groups live in Bangladesh and they are also found in the country’s flatland districts in the north and southeast. The government acknowledges the existence of 50 ethnic groups, yet it does not accept the notion of indigenous peoples. Traditionally, several of these groups have been Christians, Buddhists, or Hindu while some of them also practice animism.

The assignment of the CHT to East Bengal during India’s 1947 Partition, even though the region had virtually no Muslims, caused significant controversy among the area’s people. The government of Pakistan soon let Bengali Muslims to settle there, which infuriated the local populations. After its special status (protecting the diverse culture and indigenous inhabitants from foreign immigrants) was eliminated in 1964, the pace of Bengali Muslim colonization accelerated.

Large-scale government-sponsored initiatives to settle Bengalis in the Hill Tracts took place between 1979 and 1983. This strategy has been extensively pursued by successive governments with the intention of denying the indigenous peoples of the CHT their lands and forcing them to assimilate. Following Bangladesh’s independence, a delegation of Adivasis petitioned the new administration for the CHT to be granted autonomy again, but it was met with indifference.

The indigenous tribal population has been compelled to coexist with the majority community, lacking any special rights to protect their interests. Their appeals are consistently rejected, and their resistance has been violently suppressed by successive governments in Bangladesh. The situation is only worsening under the current regime. The demarcation of boundaries, created to fulfill the selfish interests of the British and Muslims, has placed these people at the mercy of extremists for their continued existence.

Moreover, the interim government led by Mohammad Yunus has allowed the Islamist anti-India lobby in Bangladesh to gain momentum. The lobby has been pushing against the aforementioned bilateral transit arrangements and could eventually succeed in having them canceled. Therefore, it is clear that India cannot rely exclusively on Dhaka’s reciprocity in order to utilize transit routes through Bangladesh as it would be irresponsible and unwise.

Permission to transport goods and even passengers via land and river routes through Bangladesh or its ports will be refused in the event of a conflict. This occurred when travel routes through East Pakistan were closed following the 1965 war with Pakistan. The lines weren’t reactivated until recently, with the signing of transit agreements with Bangladesh.

Islamists in Bangladesh have the ability to incite the thousands of Muslims of Bangladeshi descent who have made their home in the corridor to cut off the area’s communication with the rest of the country. All lines of communication between the northeast and the rest of the nation will be severed as a result and the country’s security could be gravely jeopardized in such an event.

Time for India to right the historical wrong

Major powers, including Russia, China, Israel, and the United States, have consistently sought opportunities to enhance their influence and expand their geography. The situation in Crimea and Ukraine exemplifies the same strategy exhibited by Russia. In fact, the invasion of Crimean Peninsula in 2014 which was part of Ukraine triggered the war between the two countries. The United States is well-known for its commitment to exerting influence worldwide. President Donald Trump’s recent comments about Greenland and the Panama Canal represent an extension of these same policy. China is notorious for instigating conflict to advance its unjustified expansionist goals.

Like wise, no self-respecting nation would tolerate unwarranted aggression, particularly from a significantly smaller country. Israel has a reputation for holding its enemies accountable, no matter the time, location, or year. The disparities between India and Bangladesh are substantial, not only in terms of land area but also regarding their economic power and military strength.

Significantly, Bangladesh’s recent aggressive stance has reached a critical point, as the nation seeks to engage with China, thereby undermining India’s regional authority. This development demands immediate action to prevent any escalation and to counteract any potential schemes designed to destabilize India. It is essential for stable sovereign nations to pursue every avenue to ensure the protection of their key interests and eliminate any threats.

On the northern end of Bangladesh where our critical vulnerability of the chickens neck lies, significant strategic depth can be added. At its narrowest, it’s 75 odd km.

None of this would be talked about or even go into calculations if ties are friendly with mutual interests… https://t.co/NqEmqipyDi pic.twitter.com/S2RMmiNNKT

— Yusuf Unjhawala ?? (@YusufDFI) April 1, 2025

Therefore, if India were to take possession of these crucial areas in Bangladesh, particularly those with a notable non-Muslim or Hindu population, it would not only address a potential threat, posed by Yunus and his government, but also bolster its strategic significance. For instance, if Chittagong were to revert to Indian control, the seven sisters would no longer be landlocked. Similalrly, the Siliguri Corridor would be less susceptible to threats or vulnerabilities, as alternative routes to the northeast will be available. This would also provide a valuable lesson in diplomatic relations regarding the limits of hostility that can be directed towards a nation like India.

Additionally, both the indigenous tribes and the present Hindu community in Bangladesh are facing significant oppression under the current administration, which has empowered extremist forces against minority groups. These communities have suffered from acts of rape, murder and looting, with their temples and places of worship being destroyed and desecrated, while the state has merely facilitated these atrocities.

The declining number of Hindus serves as both a testament to their unfortunate situation in Bangladesh and a plea for assistance. They have been separated from their homeland by arbitrary borders, and it is our responsibility to facilitate their return home. Who else can they rely on for assistance, if not their home country, India?

Interestingly, direct trade between Bangladesh and Pakistan has begun for the first time since their separation in 1971. The first government-approved cargo left Port Qasim in Karachi. Early in February, Bangladesh agreed to buy 50,000 tonnes of Pakistani rice from the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), finalizing the deal. The development could be referred to as inevitable, as the two nations have never been more aligned in their fanatic ideologies, anti-Hindu violence and rhetoric against India. Their shared jihadi outlook has caused them to overlook even their violent past.

Conclusion

General AAK Niazi of Pakistan had threatened to change the lineage or ethnicity of the Bengalis. He declared, “Main iss h*r*mz*di qaum ki nasal badal doon ga. Yeh mujhe kiya samajhtey hain.” Major General (retired) Khadim Hussain Raja, who was general officer commanding of 14 Division in the then East Pakistan wrote, “He threatened that he would let his soldiers loose on their womenfolk. There was pin drop silence at these remarks. The next morning, we were given the sad news. A Bengali officer Major Mushtaq went into a bathroom at the Command Headquarters and shot himself in the head,” in his book “A Stranger in My Own Country: East Pakistan, 1969-1971.”

Niazi was compelled to surrender along with 93,000 Pakistani soldiers to India, the nation that delivered the Bangladeshis from a tragic destiny. It is now imperative for India to draw lessons from its past, acting in the best interests of itself and its populace, who were left vulnerable to bloodthirsty jihadists due to the cruel plot of the British during the partition. The time has come to free them from yet another Islamist regime and to bring the children of Mother India back to their rightful place.

Bangabhumi was a Banga Sena-envisioned movement that aimed to establish a Bengali Hindu nation for Bangladeshi Hindus in southwest part of the nation. The Banga Sena supported the establishment of Bangabhumi for Bangladesh’s Bengali Hindu community. The organization was set up in India shortly after Bangladesh gained its independence in 1973 to aid Hindu refugees from the country as they were singled out by the Pakistan Army during the atrocities in Bangladesh in 1971. Perhaps it is time to launch another such initiative, given that the plight of Hindus has worsened, leaving them vulnerable to the actions of Islamists in Bangladesh.

There is no doubt that the significantly stronger Indian military will crush any bold adventures into the Siliguri Corridor that threatens India’s sovereignty. The corridor is flanked and well guarded by the Indian Army and the Indian Navy can easily blockade Bangladeshi ports when needed. But perhaps a geographical expansion, taking parts of Rangpur, Rajshahi and Khulna, creating a broad circle all the way to Chittagong that borders Tripura, will be a better and more permanent solution. May be it is time for the Chicken’s Neck to be turned into the elephant’s trunk.