During a meeting with Nepal’s Parliament Speaker Indira Rana, Yunus called for “an integrated economic plan for Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Seven Sisters”
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Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has once again appeared to have suggested that India’s Northeast is independent from the country, months after he called the region “landlocked.”
In a post on X, the interim government elaborated on Yunus’ meeting with Indira Rana, Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives of Nepal Parliament, saying, “Yunus has called for an integrated economic strategy between Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Seven North Eastern States of India, emphasising the potential of cross-border collaboration in hydropower, healthcare, and road connectivity.”
Chief Adviser Calls for Regional Economic Integration and Hydro Power Collaboration with Nepal
DHAKA, May 12: Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has called for an integrated economic strategy between Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Seven North Eastern States of India,… pic.twitter.com/ouwJ24b6fZ
— Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) May 12, 2025
He called for “an integrated economic plan for Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Seven Sisters”, adding that these countries and India’s Northeast have “more to gain together than apart.”
Last month, during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the chief advisor sparked a row by calling the Northeastern region “landlocked” and saying that there is “no way” for the seven states to reach out to the ocean.”
“Seven states of India, eastern part of India, called seven sisters… they are landlocked country, landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean,” Yunus said.
“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, bring it out to the whole rest of the world,” the Bangladesh leader added.