Bangladesh disowns ex-army officer’s call to ‘capture India’s northeast’ with China’s help

Shafiqul Alam, press adviser to Muhammad Yunus—the Chief Adviser to the Bangladesh government—said Rahman’s comment was made in his individual capacity, reported NDTV.

The retired officer, formerly head of the Bangladesh Rifles (now Border Guards Bangladesh), called for Bangladesh to “occupy all northeastern states” of India if Delhi were to attack Pakistan, referencing rising India-Pakistan tensions after the Pahalgam terror attack. India has not responded to his statement.

Rahman’s Facebook post, written in Bengali, also recommended seeking Chinese cooperation: "If India attacks Pakistan, Bangladesh should occupy all northeastern states. I think Bangladesh should talk to China about a joint military decision regarding this."

Rahman currently leads an inquiry into the 2009 Pilkhana massacre—where 74 people, including army officers, were killed during a mutiny at the Bangladesh Rifles headquarters—and holds a position equivalent to a judge of the Supreme Court’s appellate division.

His remarks, coming amid heightened diplomatic unease, further cement his image as a persistent anti-India voice in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh government issues formal clarification

According to the NDTV report, the Bangladeshi foreign ministry quickly issued a statement to distance itself from the retired officer’s remark: "The comments do not reflect the position or policies of the government of Bangladesh, and as such, the government neither endorses nor supports such rhetoric in any form or manner."

Yunus’s ‘Chicken’s Neck’ comment adds fuel

Rahman’s comments follow Muhammad Yunus ‘Chicken’s Neck’ remark, apparently made to gain China’s favour.

In a video that went viral during his recent four-day visit to China, Yunus was heard making a geopolitical pitch involving India’s Northeast: “The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean... This opens up a huge possibility. This could be an extension for the Chinese economy.”

His reference to the strategically sensitive ‘Chicken’s Neck’ corridor prompted swift and angry reactions from political leaders in India’s Northeast.

India’s slaps Bangladesh with firm response

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar rebutted Yunus’s claim in strong terms.

“We have the longest coastline in the Bay of Bengal, almost 6,500 km. Our Northeast is emerging as a connectivity hub for BIMSTEC, with a myriad of roads, railways, waterways, power grids and pipelines,” he said.

Following Yunus's remarks, the Indian government withdrew a key transshipment facility that had allowed Bangladesh to use Indian ports, airports and land stations to access neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar.

The service had been in place since June 2020 to facilitate smoother trade routes for Dhaka.

Yunus advisers’ anti-India slur not new

Provocative remarks have continued to surface from other senior appointees in Yunus's interim government, especially after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly Hindu pilgrims.

Asif Nazrul, the law adviser to the interim government, earlier made a controversial statement about the Pahalgam killings, which he later deleted from Facebook citing “misrepresentation.”

He was also seen recently meeting Harun Izhar, a figure linked to the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, which sparked concerns over Bangladesh’s policy posture on terrorism.

Nazrul has since claimed he only met leaders of Hefazat-e-Islam and denied any association with terror organisations.