A senior official appointed by Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has stirred controversy with a provocative suggestion: that Bangladesh should consider occupying seven states located in India’s North East if New Delhi launches a military strike on Pakistan in response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack.
The statement was made on Facebook by retired Major General ALM Fazlur Rahman, currently serving as chairperson of the National Independent Commission of Inquiry into the 2009 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) massacre.
His remarks come amid cooling relations between Dhaka and New Delhi following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August last year.
‘Bangladesh Should Invade’
“If India attacks Pakistan, Bangladesh should invade and occupy the seven northeastern states of India. We must initiate discussions with China on a joint military arrangement,” Rahman posted in Bengali on Tuesday.
The post received a “like” from fellow commission member Shahnawaz Khan Chandan, a former member of the Islamist student group Islami Chhatra Shibir.
Chandan, now an assistant professor at Jagannath University, is reportedly a close confidant of Yunus, according to a report by The Print.
Significance
Rahman’s post appeared as regional tensions flared following the Pahalgam attack. India has since suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, closed the Attari border post, and downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Dhaka has shown signs of re-engagement with Islamabad.
Earlier in April, the two countries held their first foreign secretary-level talks in nearly 15 years, addressing bilateral ties and lingering historical issues.
Other gestures have included relaxed visa policies and renewed discussions around the events of 1971.
A visit by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar is reportedly being planned but is yet to be confirmed due to the shifting regional dynamics.
Who Is ALM Fazlur Rahman?
A former top military officer, Rahman commanded the Bangladesh Rifles during the 2001 border conflict with India, which resulted in the deaths of 16 Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel.
He now holds a position with status equivalent to a judge of the Supreme Court’s appellate division and leads the inquiry into the 2009 BDR mutiny, which left 74 people dead, including senior army officers.
Rahman has long alleged that the original investigation into the mutiny suppressed vital information, hinting at possible foreign—specifically Indian—involvement. “Our goal is to determine whether external forces played a role in the massacre,” he stated.
Tensions Could Rise Further
His latest comments are likely to strain India-Bangladesh relations further, especially following recent remarks by Yunus during a meeting with Chinese officials, where he claimed that Bangladesh — not India — is the true gateway to South Asia.
“The eastern region of India, known as the Seven Sisters, is landlocked and has no ocean access. Bangladesh is the only maritime link in this zone, offering massive potential,” Yunus said in a video of the meeting that has since gone viral.
He added that Bangladesh could serve as “an extension of the Chinese economy—engaged in building, manufacturing, and global trade on China’s behalf.”
