Bangladesh official ALM Fazlur Rahman suggested that Bangladesh occupy India's seven northeastern states if India attacks Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. His remarks come amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan.
Bangladesh: A senior official appointed by Bangladesh's interim government has sparked controversy by suggesting that Bangladesh should occupy India’s seven northeastern states if India attacks Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
Major General (retired) ALM Fazlur Rahman, chairperson of the National Independent Commission of Inquiry investigating the 2009 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) massacre, made this remark on Facebook. In his post, Rahman proposed that Bangladesh should initiate a discussion about forming a joint military system with China in such a scenario.
The post gained attention after being 'liked' by Shahnawaz Khan Chandan, a former member of the Islamist student organisation Islami Chhatra Shibir and a trusted ally of Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government.
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This remark comes at a sensitive time, with India-Pakistan tensions escalating following the Pahalgam terror attack. India has responded by suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, closing the Attari border post, and downgrading diplomatic ties.
Rahman’s comment also coincides with growing diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August last year. Bangladesh and Pakistan recently held their first foreign secretary-level talks in nearly 15 years in Dhaka, addressing historical and bilateral issues.
Fazlur Rahman, a retired army officer, previously led the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) during the 2001 border clashes with India. He is now heading the investigation into the 2009 Pilkhana massacre and has suggested that foreign involvement, possibly Indian, may have been concealed in the original inquiry.
Rahman’s latest remarks add to growing friction with India, coming soon after Yunus claimed that Bangladesh, not India, is the true gateway to South Asia. Yunus highlighted that the northeastern region of India, the Seven Sisters, is landlocked and lacks ocean access, whereas Bangladesh could serve as an extension of the Chinese economy.
These developments reflect increasing regional tensions, especially between Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.
