The youth wing of the Tipra Motha Party, which is an ally of the BJP government in Tripura, held a strong protest on Friday outside the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala against what it called anti-India remarks by leaders in the neighbouring country.
Hundreds of youths, including many women, gathered near the Bangladesh mission under the banner of the Youth Tipra Federation (YTF). The protest, led by YTF president Suraj Debbarma, continued for several hours amid tight security arrangements. Protesters raised slogans and accused Bangladeshi leaders of making statements that threatened India’s sovereignty and the unity of the Northeast.
Speaking to the media, Debbarma said the protest was triggered by recent comments made by Bangladesh’s National Citizen Party leader Hasnat Abdullah and interim government chief adviser Muhammad Yunus. “Over the past few days, we have seen protests in front of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka where anti-India slogans were raised. This cannot be ignored,” he said.
Debbarma alleged that Hasnat Abdullah had claimed that Bangladesh would capture India’s ‘Seven Sisters’ and the Siliguri Corridor. “He reportedly said they would isolate the Northeast and even support separatist groups. These are dangerous and irresponsible statements,” he said. The Siliguri Corridor, often called the ‘Chicken’s Neck’, connects the Northeast with the rest of India.
Reminding Bangladesh of history, Debbarma said India played a crucial role in the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. “India and the Indian Army made huge sacrifices during the Liberation War. It is painful to see Bangladeshi leaders now portraying India as an enemy,” he said. “If India stood by Bangladesh in its darkest hour, why is India being targeted today?”
He also warned that if such remarks continued, Tipra Motha supporters could raise historical issues of their own. “If futile claims over our Northeast continue, we can also talk about history, including regions like Cox’s Bazar and the condition of minorities living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts,” Debbarma said.
Another senior Tipra Motha leader claimed that the old Chakla Roshnabad zamindari of the former princely state of Tripura once included areas that are now part of Bangladesh’s Noakhali and Sylhet districts.
Debbarma said the party had demanded that the central government take these threats seriously and strengthen border security. “This is not the first time such threats have been made, but this time we want a firm response,” he said, adding that the protest remained peaceful.
The demonstration comes amid rising tensions following earlier remarks by Muhammad Yunus, who had described Northeast India as “landlocked” and suggested that Bangladesh was the region’s “guardian of the ocean,” while also speaking about bypassing the Siliguri Corridor.
Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Manikya also reacted on social media, saying his party and its youth wing were the first to protest against such remarks. “Our fight should be against radical voices across the border, not among ourselves,” he wrote.
