Bangladesh's interim chief Muhammad Yunus has triggered a fresh diplomatic controversy by presenting a Pakistani general with a book featuring a distorted map that depicts India's northeastern states as part of Bangladesh.
The incident occurred during a weekend visit to Dhaka by General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, chairperson of Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Yunus shared photographs of their meeting on social media, which revealed him gifting a book titled "Art of Triumph" whose cover displayed the contentious map.
The map shows all seven northeastern Indian states including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, and Meghalaya, as Bangladesh territory. This aligns with demands made by radical Islamist groups advocating for a "Greater Bangladesh" concept.
The controversial gift came amid warming relations between Dhaka and Islamabad, marking a significant shift since Yunus assumed power in August following the collapse of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government during violent student protests. The Pakistan-Bangladesh relationship had remained strained since the 1971 Liberation War.
Social media erupted following Yunus's post, with analysts and journalists condemning what they described as interference in India's sovereign affairs. India's Ministry of External Affairs has not yet issued an official response to the controversy.
This represents the latest in a series of provocative references by Yunus regarding India's northeast. During his maiden visit to China in April, he described the region as "landlocked" and suggested Bangladesh was its "only guardian of the ocean," essentially inviting Chinese economic expansion into the area.
"The seven states of India, the eastern part of India they are a landlocked country. They have no way to reach out to the ocean," Yunus told Chinese officials, adding that this situation could facilitate "an extension of the Chinese economy."
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar strongly rebutted these claims, emphasizing the northeast's strategic importance as a connectivity hub for BIMSTEC nations Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. India subsequently cancelled a transhipment agreement that had allowed Bangladeshi goods transit through Indian territory.
The provocations escalated in May when Major General (retired) Fazlur Rahman, a close Yunus aide, suggested Bangladesh should collaborate with China to occupy northeastern India if it attacked Pakistan. This remark followed the Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 people.
Another Yunus associate, Nahidul Islam, previously shared a map showing parts of West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam as Bangladesh territory before deleting the post amid backlash.
India's access to its northeast through the narrow Siliguri Corridor has long been considered strategically sensitive. Under Hasina's government, New Delhi had successfully negotiated transit arrangements with Dhaka. However, Indo-Bangladesh relations have deteriorated sharply under Yunus's administration as Bangladesh strengthens ties with Pakistan and China.
Despite repeated controversial statements from his associates, Yunus has maintained silence, leading analysts to suggest his actions represent deliberate attempts to manipulate regional dynamics while courting Beijing and Islamabad.
