A diplomatic incident has flared up as Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, gifted a book featuring a map that subsumes parts of Northeast India into Bangladesh. The controversial map was presented to Pakistan’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, during his official visit to Dhaka.
The book, titled ‘Art of Triumph: Bangladesh’s New Dawn,’ was showcased on Yunus’ X account. However, the map’s inclusion of Indian states, including Assam, as part of Bangladesh has sparked significant criticism and diplomatic unease.
This map appears to reflect the ‘Greater Bangladesh’ concept, a territorial claim made by some groups that extends Bangladesh’s borders to include India’s entire Northeast region, West Bengal, and significant portions of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha, as well as Myanmar’s Arakan state. This territorial vision first appeared publicly during a Dhaka University event and was subsequently raised as a matter of concern in India. Prior instances of similar maps circulating among Yunus’ associates had also raised flags.
This is not the first time Yunus has commented on the Northeast’s geography. He once remarked that the northeastern Indian states are landlocked and depend on Bangladesh for ocean access, a statement made during a visit to China. India’s Foreign Minister subsequently emphasized the strategic importance of the Northeast for regional connectivity, particularly within the BIMSTEC framework. The political shifts in Bangladesh have led to a complex dynamic in India-Bangladesh relations, exacerbated by Yunus’ reported strengthening of ties with China and Pakistan, and the political situation involving Sheikh Hasina.