Bangladesh chief advisor Yunus gifts map to Pakistan General showing India’s Northeast in Bangladesh, stirs row

Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh, was seen presenting a Pakistani General with a controversial map depicting Assam and other northeastern states as part of Bangladesh.

The visiting Chairman of Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, paid a courtesy call on Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna on Saturday.

Yunus tweeted images of his meeting with the Pakistani General on Sunday, where an image of a book, titled ‘Art of Triumph- Graffiti of Bangladesh’s New Dawn’, carried a distorted map of Bangladesh.

The post drew massive outrage from netizens who called out the Bangladeshi chief advisor for meeting a Pakistani General and giving him a distorted map.

As per Yunu’s tweet, during the meeting, they discussed issues concerning Bangladesh–Pakistan relations, including the growing importance of bilateral trade, investment, and defence cooperation.

“Emphasising the shared historical, cultural, and people-to-people ties between the two countries, General Mirza expressed Pakistan’s desire to strengthen cooperation in multiple sectors. He noted the vast potential for expanding trade, connectivity, and investment between Bangladesh and Pakistan,” Yunus wrote.

“Our two countries will support each other,” General Mirza said, adding that a two-way shipping route between Karachi and Chittagong has already begun operations, while a Dhaka–Karachi air route is expected to open within months, reads the tweet.