Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday claimed that the northeastern state could “automatically be included” in Bangladesh if the population of people from the neighbouring country increases by another 10 per cent.
Speaking to reporters after an official event in Guwahati, Sarma said he has been raising concerns about unchecked migration for the past five years.
“In Assam, 40 per cent of the population are of Bangladeshi origin. If it increases by 10 per cent more, we will automatically be included,” he said, responding to a reported comment by a Bangladesh leader on merging the northeast with Dhaka.
“That is why I have been shouting about this issue for the last five years,” he added.
Earlier this month, Hasnat Abdullah, leader of Bangladesh’s newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), reportedly suggested that Dhaka should “isolate” India’s northeastern states and support separatist elements if New Delhi attempted to destabilise Bangladesh.
Abdullah claimed the northeastern region was geographically vulnerable due to its dependence on the narrow Siliguri Corridor, also known as the Chicken’s Neck, for connectivity with the Indian mainland.
Earlier this month, Sarma reiterated his earlier warnings of a “demographic invasion”, claiming that other communities in Assam would not survive if the Muslim population crosses 50 per cent. Speaking at the Agenda AajTak event, he said the indigenous Assamese population faces an existential crisis due to decades of unchecked migration.
According to Sarma’s projections, Assam’s Muslim population, estimated at around 38 per cent in 2021, could rise to 40 per cent by 2027 due to a consistent decadal growth rate of 4-5 per cent since 1961. He said, “If the Muslim population exceeds 50 per cent, other communities will not survive.”
Sarma argued that identity politics in Assam is not optional but a “compulsion for survival.” He cited demographic figures showing that while Assam’s total population has risen from 80 lakh in 1951 to 3.1 crore today, the indigenous population has remained around 70 lakh. The remaining 2.4 crore, according to him, are migrants.
– Ends
(with inputs from PTI)
Published By:
Prateek Chakraborty
Published On:
Dec 24, 2025
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