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Muhammad Yunus said, “There should be an integrated economic plan for Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Seven Sisters.”
Muhammad Yunus (PTI Image)
Nobel laureate and Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus proposed a comprehensive economic integration plan encompassing Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and the seven northeastern states of India. During a meeting with the Deputy Speaker of Nepal’s House of Representatives, who is currently visiting Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus underscored the potential of cross-border collaboration in sectors like hydropower, healthcare, and transportation infrastructure.
Stressing on the necessity of deeper regional ties through shared energy and infrastructure projects, he said, “There should be an integrated economic plan for Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Seven Sisters.”
The discussion focused on the enhancement of hydropower cooperation between Bangladesh and Nepal as both sides acknowledged the significance of the recent Bangladesh-Nepal-India Tripartite Power Sales Agreement, which facilitates the import of 40MW of Nepalese hydropower to Bangladesh via the Indian grid.
Beyond energy, Muhammad Yunus also highlighted Bangladesh’s commitment to regional healthcare accessibility, noting that a forthcoming 1,000-bed hospital in Rangpur would welcome patients from Nepal and Bhutan, promoting “regional health security and shared prosperity.”
“Our upcoming 1,000-bed hospital in Rangpur will be open to patients from Nepal and Bhutan as well. We believe in regional health security and shared prosperity,” he said.
Muhammad Yunus’ Earlier Comments On India And Seven Sisters
During an earlier visit to China, Muhammad Yunus made a direct pitch to Beijing as he sought to position Bangladesh as your key regional partner for production, logistics and trade.
“Seven states of eastern India — the seven sisters — they are landlocked. They have no way to reach out to the ocean. We are the only guardian of the ocean,” he said, inviting deeper Chinese economic engagement through Bangladesh.
“Build things, produce things, market things. Nepal has hydropower, Bhutan has hydropower, we can bring to our purpose. You can produce in Bangladesh and sell in China,” he told officials.
At the time, economist and member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Sanjeev Sanyal, questioned the logic behind invoking India’s internal geography in an economic pitch to China. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Interesting that Yunus is making a public appeal to the Chinese on the basis that 7 states in India are landlocked. China is welcome to invest in Bangladesh, but what exactly is the significance of 7 Indian states being landlocked?”
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