Himanta Biswa Sarma Counters Bangladesh's 'Chicken Neck' Remark, Highlights Dhaka's Own Vulnerable Corridors

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday criticised those who, in his words, "habitually threaten" India over the strategic Siliguri corridor-commonly referred to as the "Chicken's Neck"-stating that Bangladesh itself possesses two narrow stretches of land that are "far more vulnerable."

His remarks follow recent comments by Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh's interim government, regarding the corridor-a narrow strip of land in West Bengal's Siliguri region that serves as a vital link between India's northeastern states and the rest of the country.

Photo Credit: PTI

Sarma, who governs one of the seven northeastern states, pointed out that Bangladesh's first "Chicken Neck" is an 80-kilometre-long corridor in North Bangladesh between Dakhin Dinajpur and South West Garo Hills.

"Any disruption here can completely isolate the entire Rangpur division from the rest of Bangladesh," he posted on X, along with a map illustrating the corridor.

He further identified a second narrow stretch-the 28-kilometre-long Chittagong Corridor, which runs from South Tripura to the Bay of Bengal.

"This corridor, smaller than India's chicken neck, is the only link between Bangladesh's economic capital and political capital," he said.

"Just like India's Siliguri Corridor, our neighbouring country is also embedded with two narrow corridors of theirs," Sarma added. "I am only presenting geographical facts that some may tend to forget."

Yunus's Remarks on India's Northeast

In late March, Muhammad Yunus had described Bangladesh as the sole "guardian of the ocean (Bay of Bengal)," asserting that India's northeastern states were "landlocked."

During a four-day visit to China, Yunus said this scenario created a "huge possibility" and encouraged Beijing to expand its economic influence in Bangladesh.

Sarma had sharply criticised the remarks, calling them "offensive and strongly condemnable".

"The statement made by Md Younis of Bangladesh, the 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," Sarma wrote on X on 1 April.

He noted that the comment underscored the "persistent vulnerability narrative associated with India's strategic 'Chicken's Neck' corridor".

"Historically, even internal elements within India have dangerously suggested severing this critical passageway to isolate the Northeast from the mainland physically. Therefore, it is imperative to develop more robust railway and road networks both underneath and around the Chicken's Neck corridor," he wrote.

The senior BJP leader also stressed the need to prioritise the development of alternate road links to connect the Northeast with the rest of the country, bypassing the Siliguri corridor.

He acknowledged that such infrastructure projects could present "significant engineering challenges," but insisted they could be overcome with "determination and innovation".

"Such provocative statements by Md Younis must not be taken lightly, as they reflect deeper strategic considerations and longstanding agendas," he said.

India's 'Chicken's Neck'

Commonly known as the Siliguri Corridor, the 'Chicken's Neck' is a narrow stretch of land through which all road and rail connectivity to India's northeastern states must pass.

At its narrowest point, it measures just 20 kilometres across.

It is dubbed the 'Chicken's Neck' due to its slender, bottleneck-like shape. The corridor is flanked by Nepal and Bhutan to the north, and Bangladesh to the south.