The interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus clarified that the visit by Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen was limited to a technical assessment for the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project. The project area is located close to the Siliguri corridor, also known as the Chicken’s Neck, a 22-kilometre-wide stretch that connects India’s northeastern states with the rest of the country.
The visit has attracted scrutiny following recent remarks by Yunus referring to the “extension of the Chinese economy” and describing India’s Northeast as “landlocked.” These comments came into focus during anti-India demonstrations in December, when protestors targeted Indian diplomatic missions in Dhaka and other major cities.
Bangladesh’s water resources adviser, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, accompanied Ambassador Wen to the project site in Tepamadhupur Taluk Shahbazpur in Rangpur. She said China was keen to begin implementing the Teesta Master Plan at the earliest.
Separately, the Chinese ambassador met Bangladesh’s National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman over the weekend. Yunus’s press wing said the two sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and reaffirmed their longstanding friendship and development cooperation. Discussions included the Teesta River project and a proposed Bangladesh–China Friendship Hospital, with the ambassador reiterating China’s commitment to completing the technical assessment expeditiously.
The Teesta River is vital for agriculture and livelihoods in northern Bangladesh and is equally significant for India’s West Bengal, where a water-sharing agreement has remained pending for years. The press wing also said the Chinese ambassador reaffirmed support for Bangladesh’s democratic transition and conveyed best wishes for the upcoming elections.
Bangladesh and China collaborating on WW2 airfield near Siliguri corridor
During his 2025 visit to Beijing, Yunus had urged China to help build economic infrastructure in Bangladesh, highlighting the country’s position as the only “guardian of the sea” in the region. This renewed focus on infrastructure coincides with reports that Bangladesh is receiving Chinese assistance to renovate Lalmonirhat Airport, a World War II-era airstrip about 132 kilometres from the Siliguri corridor and 15 to 20 kilometres from the Indian border. The airport covers 1,166 acres and includes a four-kilometre runway and a large tarmac.
India to withdraw families of diplomats from Bangladesh
India is planning to withdraw its diplomats’ families and dependents in Bangladesh following a deterioration in security situation ahead of February 12 general elections, Reuters reported.
Campaigning begins on Thursday for Bangladesh’s election, which has sparked protests and counter-protests. Ties between the South Asian neighbours soured after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India in 2024, following deadly protests.
However, the foreign ministries of India and Bangladesh haven’t commented on the situation