Bangladesh’s interim government has distanced itself from remarks made by a retired Army officer suggesting that Dhaka should collaborate with China to occupy India’s northeastern states if New Delhi retaliates against Pakistan for the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, reported The Hindu.

In a Facebook post on April 29, Major General (Retired) ALM Fazlur Rahman wrote in Bengali: “If India attacks Pakistan, Bangladesh should occupy the seven States of Northeastern India. I think it is necessary to start discussions with China on a joint military arrangement in this regard.”

Rahman, considered close to Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, currently serves as chairperson of the National Independent Commission that was set up in December 2024 to investigate killings that took place during a 2009 mutiny by a section of the Bangladesh Rifles. He is also a former head of the paramilitary force, now known as Border Guard Bangladesh.

Rahman’s comments were widely criticised by Indian leaders and came at a time when Dhaka and New Delhi are navigating strained diplomatic ties.

In a statement issued on May 2, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “The comments do not reflect the position or policies of the government of Bangladesh, and as such, the government neither endorses nor supports such rhetoric in any form or manner.”

The ministry urged all concerned to refrain from associating the state with Rahman’s personal views. “Bangladesh remains firmly committed to the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, mutual respect, and the peaceful coexistence of all nations,” it added, according to the Dhaka Tribune.

Tensions between the two neighbours have escalated in recent months. In March, during an official visit to China, Yunus made remarks that were seen in India as provocative.

“The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters,” Yunus had said. “They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean. Calling Bangladesh the “only guardian of the ocean” in the region, he described this as “a massive opportunity, an extension of the Chinese economy”.

His comments drew condemnation across party lines in India. In what was seen as a response, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in April at a BIMSTEC foreign ministers’ meeting: “Our northeastern region in particular is emerging as a connectivity hub for the BIMSTEC, with a myriad network of roads, railways, waterways, grids and pipelines.” He added that India is “aware of its special responsibility” in the regional context.

The BIMSTEC is a regional multilateral organisation established in 1997 comprising India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Following Yunus’ remarks, India withdrew a nearly five-year-old transhipment arrangement that had allowed Bangladeshi exports to third countries via Indian ports and airports, citing rising congestion. However, exemptions remain for exports to Nepal and Bhutan, as required under World Trade Organisation norms for landlocked countries.

Relations between India and Bangladesh deteriorated after Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government fell in August last year. New Delhi has expressed concern over attacks on minority communities, especially Hindus, under the interim regime.