It is not just elements on the fringes of the Bangladesh establishment who have threatened to exploit India’s vulnerability in the Siliguri corridor; some months ago, interim leader Mohammed Yunus had hinted at this weakness. While there have been angry ~ and predictable ~ reactions to these statements in India, including a reference to Bangladesh’s similar vulnerabilities by the Assam chief minister, these appear to miss the point.

Attempts to target the Chicken’s Neck will likely be made by non-state actors, and not the Bangladeshi state, and India’s response cannot be seen to be disproportionate. Therefore, before training its guns eastwards, the Indian security establishment ~ which must include the states of West Bengal, Bihar, and Assam ~ needs to take steps internally to fortify India’s position. The Siliguri corridor poses a unique security challenge, straddles as it does several districts of West Bengal, in........

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