Guwahati: ALM Fazlur Rahman, a former head of the Bangladesh Rifles (now Border Guard Bangladesh) reportedly close to Bangladesh’s chief advisor Muhammad Yunus, proposed that his country should invade and occupy all seven northeastern states of India if New Delhi retaliates against Pakistan for the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which tragically killed 26 people.
Rahman made the statement in a Bengali-language Facebook post and also advocated for cooperation with China to realize this ‘wild idea.
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His post stated, “If India attacks Pakistan, Bangladesh will have to occupy seven states of northeast India. In this regard, I feel it is necessary to start discussions on joint military arrangement with China.”
Rahman’s inflammatory remarks come at a delicate juncture in India-Bangladesh bilateral relations.
Both nations have been attempting to mend ties after a period of strain following former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s seeking asylum in India and India’s expressed concerns regarding targeted attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.
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Adding to the existing tensions, Bangladesh’s chief advisor Muhammad Yunus made contentious comments about India’s northeastern states during a visit to China in March.
Yunus described the seven northeastern states as the “seven sisters,” highlighting their landlocked nature and lack of direct access to the ocean.
He then controversially positioned Bangladesh as the “only guardian of the ocean” in the region, suggesting this presented a “massive opportunity,” potentially as an extension of the Chinese economy.
Yunus’s remarks drew strong condemnation from leaders of India’s ruling BJP.
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar appeared to address these comments indirectly on Thursday during a BIMSTEC foreign ministers’ meeting.
He asserted that India’s northeastern region is “emerging as a connectivity hub for the BIMSTEC, with a myriad network of roads, railways, waterways, grids and pipelines,” citing India’s awareness of its “special responsibility” within the BIMSTEC framework.
Notably, India recently ended a nearly five-year-old arrangement for the trans-shipment of Bangladeshi export cargo to third countries via Indian airports and ports.
India cited increasing congestion for cargo traffic as the reason for terminating the arrangement, which came days after Yunus’s controversial statements.
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