Occupy North East if India Attacks Pakistan’: Yunus Government Aide Ignites Controversy

New Delhi 2 May 2025: Bangladesh Prime Minister Mohammad Yunus  has created a diplomatic controversy by reportedly advocating that Bangladesh should “occupy the North East” in the event India carries out a military attack on Pakistan over the Pahalgam massacre.The comments followed Sunday’s horrific terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which more than 30 Hindu pilgrims were murdered and dozens wounded by a suspected Pakistan-backed militant group. As anger ran high in India, voices grew louder to hit  back militarily against Pakistan, with certain Indian media claiming preparations were afoot for likely surgical strikes or cross-border actions.

Against this charged background, the Yunus government aide, who occupies a crucial advisory position, purportedly informed Bangladeshi media, “If India attacks Pakistan, Bangladesh cannot be a silent spectator. We should take over the North East and retrieve what is ours historically.”

The remark has drawn anger in New Delhi. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs put out a sharply worded reaction denouncing the “irresponsible and provocative” statement. “We would like the government of Bangladesh to clarify its stance and see that such dangerous talk is not fostered at the official level,” an MEA spokesperson stated.

India’s political leaders from the opposition parties as well as from the ruling BJP have also criticized the statement. BJP’s spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla stated, “Such statements are a betrayal of regional peace and India’s longstanding friendship with Bangladesh.” Congress leader Shashi Tharoor made an additional comment, “Bangladesh must not allow fringe elements to derail the hard-earned goodwill between our nations.”

In Dhaka, the Bangladeshi Ministry of Foreign Affairs was rushed to stave off the fallout, putting out a curt statement distancing the government from the aide’s words. “The statements made by an individual in their personal capacity do not represent the official policy of the Government of Bangladesh, which is devoted to peaceful and constructive interaction with all neighbours,” the statement stated.

The incident might strain India-Bangladesh relations, which have been trending positively in the last few years on issues of security cooperation, management of borders, and commerce, observers noted.
Analysts here cautioned that although Bangladesh may renounce the comment, harm may be difficult to stem in the public perception of India if clashes intensify at the India-Pakistan border.

As both nations prepare for stormy days to come, diplomatic efforts are going into overdrive to avert an outburst of tensions in a region already on the boil.