New Delhi: A former Bangladesh army officer and close associate of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has reportedly suggested that Dhaka should consider collaborating with China to take control of India's northeastern states in the event of an Indian military response to the Pahalgam terror attack on Pakistan.

Yunus' interim government on Friday distanced itself from the remarks made by Major General (Retd) ALM Fazlur Rahman on his social media account.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Rahman wrote in Bengali, "If India attacks Pakistan, Bangladesh should occupy the seven states of Northeastern India. I think it is necessary to start discussions with China on a joint military arrangement in this regard," he added.

The Yunus-led interim government appointed Rahman in December 2024 as the chairman of the National Independent Commission assigned to investigate the killings in the Bangladesh Rifles revolt of 2009.

Distancing itself from the former army officer's remarks, Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a media release on Friday, "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 Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported that the government urged all concerned to refrain from associating the state with Rahman's personal views.

Bangladesh remains firmly committed to the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, mutual respect, and the peaceful coexistence of all nations, the ministry said.

Earlier in March, Chief Adviser Yunus, during his visit to China, had remarked that India's seven northeastern states, which share a nearly 1,600-km border with Bangladesh, are landlocked and have no way to reach the ocean except through his country.

In his address at a business event in China, Yunus said Dhaka was the "only guardian" of the Indian Ocean in the region, as he invited Beijing to send goods through Bangladesh across the world.

The comments also drew sharp reactions from political leaders in India across party lines, reported PTI.

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