Dhaka, Bangladesh: A controversy has erupted in Bangladesh after Major General (Retd) ALM Fazlur Rahman, a former army officer and current appointee in Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’ interim government, suggested on social media that Bangladesh should collaborate with China to occupy India’s northeastern states if India retaliates against Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack.

The Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs swiftly distanced itself from Rahman’s remarks, stating they do not reflect the government’s official stance or policies. The ministry reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peaceful coexistence, urging the public not to associate the government with Rahman’s personal opinions.

Tensions between India and Bangladesh have been simmering since Yunus’ earlier controversial remarks in China, where he described Bangladesh as the "only guardian" of the Indian Ocean for India’s landlocked northeastern states. Following those remarks, India withdrew a key transhipment facility for Bangladeshi exports to several regions. Relations have further deteriorated amid rising attacks on minorities in Bangladesh after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024.