Amid rising India-Pakistan tensions, Bangladesh makes shocking statement, says to occupy North East India if…

Bangladesh "needs to start discussing a joint military system with China," said Maj Gen (retired) ALM Fazlur Rahman, former chief of Bangladesh Rifles.

Guwahati: A retired Bangladeshi army officer linked to Muhammad Yunus’s interim government has said that if India attacks neighbouring Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack, India’s northeastern states should be occupied. Maj Gen (retired) ALM Fazlur Rahman, a former chief of Bangladesh Rifles, now known as Border Guard Bangladesh, suggested that his country “needs to start discussing a joint military system with China.”

The mention of northeast has raised concerns in New Delhi, as officials and analysts question the motive behind highlighting the region’s landlocked nature to Chinese investors. The remark is seen amid the Dragon’s increasing strategic involvement in South Asia and its infrastructure development near India’s borders, specially in Arunachal Pradesh.

Rahman made the statement on his social media post on April 29. His statement comes amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which claimed the life of 26 tourists, also amid uncertainty between India and Bangladesh following ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Following the 2009 Pilkhana massacre, in which 74 people (including 57 army officers) died, the interim government established a seven-member independent commission last year, headed by Rahman, to conduct a new investigation into the revolt.

Notably, Bangladesh authorities immediately distanced itself from Rahman’s inflammatory remarks related to military action against India. The authorities said that these views do not reflect the Bangladesh government’s official stance.

Bangladesh’s chief adviser’s press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, clarified that recent statements by retired Major General ALM Fazlur Rahman, head of the BDR commission, represent his personal views, not an official position.

“The Interim Government does not share his views in any shape or form and does not ENDORSE such rhetoric. Bangladesh respects the sovereignty and independence of all nations and expects the same from others. We urge all not to drag the government of Bangladesh in reference to Major Gen Fazlur Rahman’s personal comments,” Alam said in a statement on Wednesday.

It is to be noted that Rahman’s inflammatory remark came weeks after Yunus’s visit to China, where he reportedly encouraged the Shi Jinping-led government to expand its economic influence into his country. He also highlighted that northeastern states are landlocked, and suggested that this could be an opportunity for Beijing and Islamabad.

Muhammad Yunus advocated for Bangladesh’s role as a regional leader in ocean conservation and proposed it as a key partner for China’s economic growth initiatives, particularly in accessing hydropower resources in Nepal and Bhutan. He formalized this relationship through several agreements with China, characterizing it as entering a new phase of cooperation. Yunus stressed the value of a strong, counterbalancing relationship with China alongside India.