Is Northeast India Part Of B'desh? Yunus’ Controversial Gift To Pak Sparks Row

Is Northeast India Part Of Bangladesh? Yunus’ Controversial Gift To Pakistan Sparks Row

An image shared on Yunus' official X account shows a book titled Art of Triumph: Bangladesh's New Dawn, reportedly commemorating the 2024 student movement that led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina's government. However, the inclusion of Indian territory on the map has sparked widespread criticism.

Bangladesh's interim head, Muhammad Yunus, has triggered a diplomatic row after presenting a controversial gift to a Pakistani general, which included a distorted map showing Assam and other northeastern Indian states as part of Bangladesh.

The gift was handed to General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, chairperson of Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, during his visit to Dhaka.

An image shared on Yunus' official X account shows a book titled Art of Triumph: Bangladesh's New Dawn, reportedly commemorating the 2024 student movement that led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina's government. However, the inclusion of Indian territory on the map has sparked widespread criticism.

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Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan Calls on Chief Adviser

DHAKA, October 26: The visiting Chairman of Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, paid a courtesy call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State… pic.twitter.com/A9QmFMHk4F — Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) October 26, 2025

The map reflects the idea of 'Greater Bangladesh', promoted by Dhaka-based Islamist group Sultanat-e-Bangla. It portrays Bangladesh encompassing India's entire northeast, West Bengal, parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Myanmar's Arakan state.

This controversial map first appeared in April 2025 during an exhibition at the University of Dhaka on Pohela Baishakh, the Bengali New Year. The matter was subsequently raised in the Rajya Sabha in August 2025 by Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala.

Earlier, in 2024, Yunus' close aide Nahidul Islam had shared a map including West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam as part of Bangladesh, giving an early indication of this expansionist narrative.

This is not the first instance where Yunus has referred to India's northeast. During a visit to China in April, he described Bangladesh as the "only guardian of the ocean" for the region, noting that the northeastern states of India are landlocked.

He said, “The seven states of India, the eastern part of India… they are a landlocked country. They have no way to reach out to the ocean.”

In response, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar underscored the strategic importance of the northeast as a connectivity hub for BIMSTEC, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

Since Sheikh Hasina's government was toppled, ties between India and Bangladesh have been strained, especially as Yunus strengthens relations with China and Pakistan. Additionally, Hasina's exile in India has added to tensions.

This incident is part of a wider pattern of neighbouring countries depicting Indian territory as their own. India continues to face disputes with China over Arunachal Pradesh, considered South Tibet by Beijing, and the Aksai Chin region in Ladakh.

In 2023, a Chinese government map depicting these regions as Chinese territory provoked strong protests from India. Similarly, India remains in conflict with Pakistan over Kashmir, with Islamabad claiming the union territory currently administered as Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Source: ZeeNews
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