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NDTV
03-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Bangladesh U-Turn After Retired Military Officer's "Occupy Northeast" Call
Provocative comments continue to pour in from Bangladesh. Weeks after Muhammad Yunus' "chicken's neck" remark drew a sharp response from the Northeast's leaders, a retired Bangladesh officer has made a similar comment on the Indian region, referring to the soaring tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack. Major General ALM Fazlur Rahman (retd), who once headed the Bangladesh Rifles (now known as Border Guards Bangladesh), has called on his government to occupy India's northeastern region if Delhi goes to war with Islamabad. A senior Bangladesh official, however, trashed it as a remark made by the retired officer in his personal capacity. Shafiqul Alam, press adviser to Mr Yunus - the chief adviser to the Bangladesh government, said his comments did not reflect the government's views. There has been no reaction yet from the Indian government. At least 26 people were killed in the Pahalgam attack on April 22, souring relations with Pakistan, which is known for harbouring terrorism that targets India, especially Jammu and Kashmir. While both nations had taken diplomatic measures, several Pakistani leaders have made provocative comments calling for war. Major General Rahman's remarks amid the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions reinforce his image as an anti-India voice in the neighbouring country. The retired military officer is currently entrusted with a probe into the 2009 Pilkhana massacre in which 74 people, including military officers, were killed during a mutiny at the headquarters of the Bangladesh Rifles. In this capacity, his position is equivalent to an appellate division judge of Bangladesh's Supreme Court. "If India attacks Pakistan, Bangladesh should occupy all northeastern states," he had written on Facebook in Bengali. Bringing China to play, he had said, "I think Bangladesh should talk to China about a joint military decision regarding this." Bangladesh's foreign ministry was quick to distance the government from his remark. "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 said in a statement. Despite such clarifications, provocative statements from senior officials appointed by Muhammad Yunus have been regular since the Pahalgam attacks. Asif Nazrul, the law adviser to the interim government, had made an objectionable and irresponsible statement on the Pahalgam massacre. Citing "misrepresentation", he had later deleted his Facebook post. He recently met a terrorist, Harun Izhar, with known Lashkar-e-Taiba links in his office, setting off sharp reactions questioning Bangladesh's policy on terrorism. Nazrul later clarified that he only met Hefazat-e-Islam Leaders and claimed they are not associated with any terrorist organisation. Major General Rahman's remark is also being seen as Muhammad Yunus' views on his government's ties with China. Weeks ago, Yunus had referred to India's northeast region as landlocked and invited China to expand in the region by propagating Bangladesh as "Guardian of the Ocean". Muhammad Yunus' position as Chief Adviser is equivalent to that of Prime Minister in the interim setup in Bangladesh, where no election has been held since the August collapse of the Hasina government. India had sharply reacted to his statement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivering a stern message during his one-on-one meeting with Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok earlier this year. PM Modi had suggested that Dhaka avoid "rhetoric that vitiates the environment".
The Print
01-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Retd Bangladeshi major general calls for ‘occupation' of India's Northeast if it attacks Pakistan
'If India attacks Pakistan, Bangladesh should occupy seven states of North East India. In this regard, I think it is necessary to start a discussion on a joint military system with China,' Rahman posted Tuesday in Bengali on Facebook. The remark of Major General (retired) A.L.M. Fazlur Rahman, the chairperson of the National Independent Commission of Inquiry probing the 2009 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) massacre, comes at a time when Dhaka's ties with New Delhi has seen a downturn after ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August last year. New Delhi: Bangladesh should occupy India's seven northeast states if the neighbouring country attacks Pakistan, a senior official appointed by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government has said. The post was endorsed with a 'like' by fellow commission member Shahnawaz Khan Chandan, who is a former member of the Islamist student group Islami Chhatra Shibir. Chandan, an assistant professor in Dhaka's Jagannath University, is someone whom Yunus is said to have 'placed complete trust' with. The timing of the post can hardly be missed as it comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan post the Pahalgam terror attack. In a slew of sweeping punitive actions, India has kept the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, closed the Integrated Check Post at Attari, and downgraded diplomatic ties. In contrast, Bangladesh has warmed up to Pakistan amid diplomatic chill with India post Hasina's ouster. The two countries held their first foreign secretary-level talks in nearly 15 years this month in Dhaka, aiming to address bilateral and historical issues. The talks follow quiet diplomatic overtures, including eased visa rules and renewed engagement on 1971-related grievances. A visit by Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar is also expected later, currently on hold amid growing tensions. Also Read: 'Focus on protecting own minorities'—India to Bangladesh after Yunus govt condemns Murshidabad violence Who is Fazlur Rahman Rahman headed the BDR when the paramilitary force killed 16 personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) in the 2001 Bangladesh-India border clashes. Now elevated to a status equal to a Supreme Court appellate division judge, the retired army officer has vowed to uncover the 'foreign conspiracy' behind the 2009 Pilkhana killings. Rahman has maintained that the original mutiny probe covered up a deeper conspiracy. 'We aim to determine whether any foreign entity was involved in the carnage,' he previously said, alluding to alleged Indian interference. Rahman's latest remark is likely to cause further strain in ties with India, as it comes after Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus last month asserted that Bangladesh—not India—is the only true gateway to South Asia, in a meeting with Chinese officials. 'The eastern part of India, known as the Seven Sisters, is landlocked. They have no access to the ocean. We are the only guardians of the ocean in this region. This opens up huge possibilities,' Yunus said in a video of the meeting that has gone viral on social media. He added that Bangladesh could serve as 'an extension of the Chinese economy—building, producing, and marketing goods for China and the world.' What is the independent commission The National Independent Commission of Inquiry was set up in December 2024 to re-investigate the failed 2009 paramilitary mutiny and its aftermath, including the claims of foreign involvement. During the uprising, BDR soldiers went on a violent rampage at their Dhaka headquarters, stealing thousands of weapons and killing their commanding officers. The mutiny quickly spread nationwide before it was crushed by the army. Seventy-four people, including 57 army officers, were killed in the carnage. Since Hasina's ouster in August 2024, families of officers killed in the mutiny have pushed for the case to be reopened, accusing her of undermining the military to consolidate power. The original trials, conducted under her government, led to mass convictions via special courts—criticised by the United Nations for lacking due process. Amid renewed investigation, local media outlet Amar Desh Patrika also revived claims that Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) orchestrated the 2009 massacre, allegedly bringing in trained assassins disguised as athletes and patients who later fled on a delayed flight. The report said former home minister Sahara Khatun's Hotel Imperial in Farmgate was allegedly used as a safehouse, while CCTV footage from the scene was reportedly destroyed by then BDR chief Moinul Islam. Despite being summoned, many key suspects in the Hasina administration allegedly evaded questioning. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: 1971 or 2024? A political battle in Bangladesh over when the nation found true liberation
