Home
+
Published : 02 May 2025, 08:51 PM
The interim government has described the remarks made by ALM Fazlur Rahman, head of the national commission probing the 2009 BDR killings, as “entirely personal” after he suggested that Bangladesh should seize India’s seven northeastern states if India attacks Pakistan.
In a statement issued on Friday, the foreign ministry responded amid uproar in India over the Facebook post by Fazlur, a former chief of Bangladesh’s border force.
“Government of Bangladesh wishes to clarify that the recent remarks made by Major General ALM Fazlur Rahman (retd) on his personal social media account were expressed solely in a personal capacity,” said a MoFA statement.
“The comments do not reflect the position or policies of the Government of Bangladesh and as such the Government neither endorses nor shares such rhetoric in any form or manner,” read the statement.
On Thursday, Chief Adviser’s press aide Shafiqul Alam also described the remarks as Fazlur’s personal view.
The ministry also urged all parties not to conflate his views with the government’s official stance.
“Bangladesh remained firmly committed to the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence of all nations,” the ministry said.
The controversy comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following a terrorist attack on tourists in Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
In his Apr 29 Facebook post, Fazlur wrote: “If India attacks Pakistan, Bangladesh should occupy the seven northeastern states of India. I believe discussions should begin with China on a joint military arrangement in this regard.”
Indian media gave wide coverage to the comment, often referring to Fazlur as a “close associate” of Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus.
Several outlets also drew a connection between the Facebook post and remarks made by Yunus during a trip to China on Mar 28, where he described India’s northeastern region, often referred to as the Seven Sisters, as “landlocked areas” that rely on Bangladesh for access to the sea.
“We are the sole guardian of the sea for this region,” Yunus said.
“As a result, it opens up a huge potential. It can be an economic extension of China. Build, produce, market different things; bring things to China or send them all over the world.”
Following the backlash in India, Yunus’ top aide Khalilur Rahman said this was not the first time the chief advisor had made such remarks, and added that the comment was “well-intentioned”.
