“A Neck for a Neck”: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Warns Bangladesh Over Chicken’s Neck Corridor Amid Strategic Tensions

Guwahati: In a sharp escalation of rhetoric, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday warned Bangladesh against any misadventure involving India’s Chicken’s Neck corridor, stating that Dhaka has two equally fragile “necks” of its own that India could target in response.

“We have one Chicken’s Neck. But Bangladesh has two Chicken Necks. If Bangladesh attacks our Chicken’s Neck, we will attack both the Chicken Necks of Bangladesh… The one in Meghalaya connecting Chittagong port in Bangladesh is even thinner than India’s Chicken’s Neck and is located just a stone’s throw away,” Sarma declared at a press conference, sending a blunt message to India’s eastern neighbor.

The Chicken’s Neck, also known as the Siliguri Corridor, is a narrow 22-kilometre-wide strip of land in West Bengal that connects India’s northeastern states to the rest of the country. Its strategic importance is immense, making it a potential vulnerability in the event of a conflict.

Sarma’s warning came in the wake of rising political chatter in Dhaka about the corridor and unconfirmed reports suggesting Chinese involvement in reviving a World War II-era airbase at Lalmonirhat, located just 100 km from the sensitive region. The development has triggered concerns in New Delhi over growing strategic cooperation between Bangladesh and China, especially so close to India’s soft underbelly.

Doubling down on his rhetoric, the firebrand BJP leader also invoked India’s military response during Operation Sindoor, a major counter-terror strike in Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam attack.

“Bangladesh has to be reborn 14 times before attacking India,” Sarma quipped, underscoring India’s growing assertiveness and defence readiness.

The remarks, while controversial, reflect India’s hardening stance on regional security and territorial integrity, particularly in light of increasing Chinese assertiveness in South Asia. New Delhi has, in recent months, stepped up surveillance and military preparedness around the Siliguri Corridor, recognizing it as a potential flashpoint.

Though Dhaka has yet to officially respond to Sarma’s comments, the diplomatic fallout may strain India-Bangladesh ties, which have otherwise seen steady improvement in trade and connectivity.