Bangladesh’s interim head Muhammad Yunus has once again stirred diplomatic unease by wading into India’s internal matters. This time, Yunus was seen presenting a Pakistani general with a controversial map that depicted Assam and other northeastern states as part of Bangladesh.
The incident occurred during the visit of Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee chairperson, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, who was in Dhaka over the weekend to meet Yunus. The meeting comes amid an apparent warming of ties between the two nations, whose relationship has remained tense since the 1971 Liberation War.
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Yunus meets Pak general
On Sunday, Yunus shared photos of his meeting with the Pakistani general. However, one particular image — showing Yunus gifting a book titled Art of Triumph to Mirza — has sparked outrage. The book’s cover featured a distorted map of Bangladesh, extending to include India’s seven northeastern states.
The map, which mirrors calls by radical Islamist groups for a “Greater Bangladesh,” has triggered widespread criticism online, with many accusing Yunus of overstepping diplomatic boundaries and encroaching upon India’s sovereignty.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has not yet commented on the matter.
This controversy comes at a sensitive time, as Yunus’s interim government has been seen making overtures toward Pakistan since he assumed office in August 2024, following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government amid violent student-led protests.
