Bangladesh leader's 'Seven sisters' remark draws Assam CM's ire
What's the story
Bangladesh National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Hasnat Abdullah has warned that Dhaka may provide shelter to anti-India forces, including separatist groups. He said this could lead to the separation of India's "seven sisters," a term used for the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura. The statement came during a speech at Dhaka's Central Shaheed Minar, where Abdullah claimed such support could be used to isolate India's northeastern region, drawing applause, according to India Today.
Counterstatement
Assam CM criticizes Abdullah's remarks
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has reacted strongly to Abdullah's remarks, calling them "irresponsible and dangerous." He said India will not remain silent on such statements. "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,'' the chief minister said. The northeastern states include four that share a land border with Bangladesh, making the region strategically sensitive.
Background
Historical context of India-Bangladesh relations
India has previously accused militant and separatist groups in the Northeast of using Bangladeshi territory as a base. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, groups like the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) were linked to camps across the border. These groups reportedly crossed into Bangladesh to evade Indian security forces, with training and arms procurement facilitated from there.
Security cooperation
Bangladesh's crackdown on insurgent and extremist groups
The security situation changed after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina returned to power in 2009. Since then, Bangladesh has cracked down on insurgent and extremist groups targeting India. This led to closer security cooperation between the two countries. Abdullah also criticized the Bangladesh Election Commission for calling an attack on electoral candidate Osman Hadi an "isolated" incident, calling the commission "spineless."