Guwahati: A recent remark by a senior Bangladeshi official has triggered strong reactions and anger across India, particularly in the Northeast, after he suggested that Bangladesh should consider occupying the region in the event of a conflict between India and Pakistan. The inflammatory statement comes at a time of heightened tensions between India and its western neighbour following the Pahalgam terror attack, which left at least 26 people dead.
Major General (Retd) A.L.M. Fazlur Rahman, currently the chairperson of Bangladesh’s National Independent Commission of Inquiry into the 2009 BDR massacre, took to Facebook earlier this week with a controversial post written in Bengali. “If India attacks Pakistan, Bangladesh should occupy the seven northeastern states of India. It is time to consider forming a joint military framework with China,” Rahman wrote. The post has since drawn attention both domestically and internationally for its provocative tone and timing.
The comment, viewed as a direct challenge to India’s sovereignty, was endorsed by Shahnawaz Khan Chandan — another commission member and former leader of the Islamist student organisation Islami Chhatra Shibir. Chandan, who now serves as an assistant professor at Jagannath University in Dhaka, is reported to be a trusted aide of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, which assumed power after the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.
Strategic experts have labelled the post as not just irresponsible but deeply alarming, especially given the geopolitical sensitivities in the region. India’s Northeast, which shares a long and porous border with Bangladesh, has often been the subject of cross-border security concerns. However, this is the first time a senior Bangladeshi official has publicly advocated territorial aggression against India.
The development comes in the wake of strained India-Bangladesh relations under the interim regime of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who replaced Sheikh Hasina’s government after a controversial transition of power. Ties have further soured after India’s stern stance on cross-border terror and a recalibration of its foreign policy following the Pahalgam attack. In response to Pakistan’s involvement in the attack, India recently suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, sealed off the Attari Integrated Check Post, and downgraded diplomatic engagements.
Security agencies have reportedly heightened surveillance along the Indo-Bangladesh border, especially in states like Assam, Tripura, and Meghalaya, in light of the inflammatory statement.
The Ministry of External Affairs is yet to issue an official response, but diplomatic sources have confirmed that the Indian High Commission in Dhaka has flagged the matter and may seek clarifications from the Bangladeshi government.
Observers believe that such statements from Dhaka’s interim leadership reflect the growing influence of hardline elements and indicate a shift away from the traditionally cordial bilateral relations maintained under Sheikh Hasina’s rule. With China also being mentioned in Rahman’s post, analysts are warning of a potential realignment in South Asian power equations, raising concerns about regional stability in the months to come.
As India remains focused on strengthening national security and maintaining internal stability, the Centre is expected to take a firm yet calibrated approach to this emerging threat from its eastern neighbour.
