India’s eastern border dynamics have entered a volatile phase, with Bangladesh’s interim government displaying a tilt toward China and Pakistan, raising the stakes for India’s security calculus. At the heart of this tension is the Siliguri Corridor—familiarly called the “Chicken’s Neck”—a narrow, 22-kilometer-wide strip that connects India’s mainland to its eight northeastern states and Sikkim. This corridor is not just a logistical artery but a critical vulnerability, as any disruption could sever the northeast from the rest of India, impacting nearly 45 million people and undermining national integration.

The Siliguri Corridor: A Strategic Vulnerability

The Siliguri Corridor is bordered by Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, making it geopolitically sensitive and logistically indispensable. It hosts major road and rail infrastructure, oil and gas pipelines, and the national power grid, all essential for civilian and military movement to the northeast and forward bases near the China border. The corridor’s fragility is compounded by:

Bangladesh’s growing military and economic ties with China, including arms imports and infrastructure projects such as the proposed dual-use Lalmonirhat airport near the corridor.

Rising anti-India rhetoric and radical sentiments within Bangladesh, exemplified by recent provocative statements from Bangladeshi leaders about India’s “landlocked” northeast and the need for military cooperation with China.

China’s expanding military infrastructure near the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction, highlighted by the 2017 Doklam standoff, which underscored the corridor’s exposure to a potential two-front crisis.

Bangladesh’s 'Two Chicken Necks': India’s Strategic Leverage


In response to these threats, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma articulated India’s counter-leverage: Bangladesh itself has two critical “chicken necks”—the 80 km North Bangladesh Corridor (from Dakhin Dinajpur to South West Garo Hills) and the 28 km Chittagong Corridor (from South Tripura to the Bay of Bengal).

Disruption of these corridors could:

Isolate Bangladesh’s Rangpur division from the rest of the country.

Sever the only land link between Bangladesh’s economic capital (Chittagong) and its political capital (Dhaka), crippling trade and logistics, especially since Chittagong port handles most of Bangladesh’s imports and exports.

This geographic reality serves as a powerful deterrent: any attempt by Bangladesh to threaten the Siliguri Corridor could be met with reciprocal actions targeting its own vulnerabilities.

India’s Multi-Pronged Strategic Response

India is not relying solely on rhetoric. Its approach to securing the Siliguri Corridor and countering the encirclement risk includes:

Infrastructure Upgrades: Expanding and hardening highways, building parallel rail lines, and improving logistics to ensure redundancy and rapid military mobilization.

Alternate Connectivity: Fast-tracking projects like the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Project (connecting Mizoram to Kolkata via Myanmar) and the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway to reduce dependence on the Siliguri Corridor and Bangladesh for access to the northeast.

Military Fortification: Increasing troop presence, deploying advanced air defence systems, and conducting regular security exercises in the corridor region.

Diplomatic And Economic Measures: Engaging in neighbourhood diplomacy to manage tensions, while also using trade restrictions and economic levers as needed.

Intelligence And Counter-Insurgency: Monitoring and countering internal threats or “fifth column” activities that could disrupt the corridor during a crisis.

Bangladesh’s shift toward China and the erosion of India’s traditional influence in Dhaka have heightened the strategic stakes. China’s “string of pearls” strategy—deepening ties with India’s neighbours and investing in dual-use infrastructure—has made the Siliguri Corridor a focal point of regional power play. India’s efforts to diversify its connectivity and assert its own leverage over Bangladesh’s vulnerabilities are part of a broader attempt to maintain strategic balance and deter aggression.

The “chicken with two necks” metaphor encapsulates the mutual vulnerabilities that define the India-Bangladesh border standoff. While the Siliguri Corridor remains India’s Achilles’ heel, Bangladesh’s own geographic chokepoints provide India with significant counter-leverage. India’s layered response—combining infrastructure, military readiness, diplomatic engagement, and strategic signalling—aims to ensure that any threat to its eastern lifeline is met with credible deterrence and, if necessary, reciprocal action. The evolving situation underscores the corridor’s centrality to India’s security and the need for constant vigilance in a rapidly shifting regional landscape.

Based On ET News Report