Yunus Gifts Pak General Map With India’s Northeast In Bangladesh, Sparks Massive Row
Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, has ignited a major diplomatic controversy by presenting a top Pakistani general with a book featuring a map that depicts India’s northeastern states as part of Bangladesh. This provocative act, which aligns with radical calls for a “Greater Bangladesh,” is the latest in a series of moves by the Yunus administration that have caused significant unease in New Delhi.The incident occurred during a visit to Dhaka by Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee chairperson, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza. The meeting itself signaled a warming of ties between the two countries, whose relationship has been historically strained since the 1971 Liberation War.
However, it was a photo tweeted by Yunus himself that triggered the outrage. The image showed him gifting General Mirza a book titled ‘Art of Triumph,’ the cover of which displayed the distorted map showing India’s seven northeastern states subsumed into Bangladesh’s territory.This is not the first time Yunus has waded into the sensitive issue of India’s Northeast. During a visit to China in April, he described the region as “landlocked” and positioned Bangladesh as the “only guardian of the ocean for all this region,” encouraging China to expand its economic influence there.
His remarks drew a sharp response from India, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reaffirming the Northeast’s strategic importance. Tensions flared again in May when a close aide of Yunus, Major General (retd) Fazlur Rahman, suggested that Bangladesh should collaborate with China to occupy India’s northeastern states if India were to attack Pakistan.
These repeated provocations come as relations between New Delhi and Dhaka have hit an all-time low under Yunus, who came to power after the fall of the pro-India Sheikh Hasina government. While India’s Ministry of External Affairs has not yet officially reacted to the latest map controversy, the pattern of statements and actions from Dhaka is being viewed by analysts as a veiled attempt to manipulate regional dynamics, fueled by Bangladesh’s growing closeness with China and Pakistan.
