Time has come to ‘reclaim’ Noakhali, Chittagong and Sylhet: Nishikant Dubey

The time has come to “reclaim” Noakhali, Chittagong port and Sylhet of Bangladesh, said BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Friday (November 6, 2026). He said Noakhali, Chittagong port and Sylhet were given away by India during 1946-47 disregarding the opinion of the ruler of the kingdom of Tripura.

Mr. Dubey blamed Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru saying Nehru wanted the support of the Muslim League in the interim government of 1946 when the decision was taken to leave these three regions for East Pakistan.

 “… My view is that the time has come not just to reclaim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir from Pakistan. It is also time to reclaim the territories that Nehru ji forcibly handed over, whether it is Noakhali, Chittagong Port or Sylhet,” said Mr. Dubey in remarks to news agency ANI. 

Mr. Dubey’s remarks found support from the descendant of the late king, Pradyot Manikya, who backed Mr. Dubey’s position saying, “I have been maintaining that huge parts of erstwhile Tripura Kingdom were seceded to East Pakistan keeping my grandmother in the dark during Partition and this was the darkest period in our nation’s history.” Mr. Manikya highlighted the landlocked nature of the northeast India blaming it on the decision to give Chittagong to East Pakistan which after the Liberation War of 1971 became Bangladesh. “Today if we had sea access we would no longer be worried about the Chicken’s neck,” said Mr. Manikya, who is the head of Tipra Motha party.

Mr. Dubey said that as the leader of the interim government in 1946, Nehru was keen to get the support of the Muslim League and that the King of Tripura was opposed to the interim government deciding the future of Noakhali, Sylhet and Chittagong. He said Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya was “continuously fighting” Nehru on this matter saying, “How can you hand over Noakhali to Pakistan? How can you hold a referendum on Sylhet? How can you hold a referendum on Chittagong? This is my kingdom. I will decide whether it remains part of India, Pakistan or becomes an independent state.”