In this photo taken on Oct. 26, 2025, Pakistan’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza meets Bangladesh’s chief adviser Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka. Photo: Office of the Chief Adviser PTI/Bangladesh
Chief Advisor to the Interim Government of Bangladesh Prof. Mohammed Yunus met a high-ranking Pakistani military visitor at the weekend and presented him with a book that depicted parts of northeast India as part of Bangladesh. The map in question was printed on the cover of a book that was presented to Pakistan’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza at the Jamuna State Guest House in Dhaka on Saturday (October 25). India has yet to officially respond to the map, although the Ministry of External Affairs lodged a strong protest last December when a similar map was used by a student advisor online.
Mr Yunus’ office said after the meeting that the two sides discussed “bilateral trade, investment and defense cooperation”. General Mirza’s visit follows a visit to Bangladesh on 23-24 August by Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who asked Bangladesh to “cleanse its heart” and move on from painful memories of the 1971 genocide by Pakistani military forces.
“General Mirza highlighted the shared historical, cultural and people-to-people ties between the two countries and expressed Pakistan’s desire to strengthen cooperation in many sectors. He noted the huge potential for expanding trade, connectivity and investment between Bangladesh and Pakistan,” the Office of the Chief Adviser said in a press release.
India has not yet officially responded to the use of the map in the book or the visit of a senior military figure from Pakistan. However, in December 2024, the Ministry of External Affairs lodged a strong protest after a student adviser – Mahfuz Alam – posted on social media showing an enlarged map of Bangladesh that included parts of northeastern India. Mr Alam took down the social media post and Bangladeshi sources described the map as “graffiti” and not a proper map.
Published – 27 Oct 2025 23:33 IST
