Key Highlights:
- Bangladesh’s Muhammad Yunus presented a coffee table book to Pakistani General Sahir Shamshad Mirza containing a map showing Indian territories as part of Bangladesh
- The controversial map represents the “Greater Bangladesh” concept promoted by Islamist groups, claiming India’s northeastern states, West Bengal, and parts of other Indian states
- The incident has triggered widespread diplomatic concern and social media outrage, marking another strain in India-Bangladesh relations under the interim government
Initial Context Surrounding the Diplomatic Incident
The Muhammad Yunus gift to Pakistani General controversy has emerged as a significant diplomatic flashpoint between India and Bangladesh, highlighting growing tensions over territorial representations and bilateral relations. The incident occurred during a high-level meeting between Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka on October 26, 2025.​
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan Calls on Chief Adviser
— Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) October 26, 2025
DHAKA, October 26: The visiting Chairman of Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, paid a courtesy call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State… pic.twitter.com/A9QmFMHk4F
The Muhammad Yunus gift to Pakistani General consisted of a coffee table book titled “Art of Triumph: Graffiti of Bangladesh’s New Dawn,” which prominently featured what appears to be a distorted map of Bangladesh on its cover. This map allegedly depicts parts of India’s northeastern states, including Assam, Tripura, and other regions, as integral components of Bangladesh territory. The Muhammad Yunus gift to Pakistani General has been interpreted by critics as promoting the controversial “Greater Bangladesh” concept, a territorial claim that extends far beyond Bangladesh’s internationally recognized borders.​
The timing of this Muhammad Yunus gift to Pakistani General incident is particularly significant, occurring amid a broader warming of Bangladesh-Pakistan relations following the August 2024 change of government in Dhaka. According to official statements, the meeting between Yunus and General Mirza covered discussions on bilateral trade, investment opportunities, and defense cooperation, with both sides emphasizing their shared historical and cultural ties.​
Controversial Map Details and Greater Bangladesh Concept
The Muhammad Yunus gift to Pakistani General controversy centers around the territorial implications of the map featured in the presented book. The disputed cartographic representation aligns with the “Greater Bangladesh” ideology propagated by the Dhaka-based Islamist organization “Sultanat-e-Bangla,” which envisions an expanded Bangladesh encompassing significant portions of Indian territory.​
- The controversial map shows India’s entire northeastern region, including all seven sister states, as part of Bangladesh territory
- West Bengal, parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha are depicted as belonging to Bangladesh in this representation
- Myanmar’s Arakan state is also included within the proposed “Greater Bangladesh” boundaries
This Muhammad Yunus gift to Pakistani General incident represents a continuation of similar territorial controversies that have emerged since the interim government took power. The same distorted map first surfaced publicly in April 2025 during an exhibition at the University of Dhaka celebrating Pohela Baishakh, the Bengali New Year. The issue subsequently gained political attention when Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala raised the matter in India’s Rajya Sabha in August 2025.​
The Muhammad Yunus gift to Pakistani General has drawn particular criticism due to the sensitive nature of India-Bangladesh border relations. According to official Indian government data, India and Bangladesh share a 4,096.7-kilometer border, the longest land boundary that India maintains with any neighboring country. The Land Boundary Agreement of 1974, fully implemented in 2015, resolved all outstanding border demarcation issues, making any territorial claims particularly controversial.​
Bangladesh-Pakistan Relations and Trade Dynamics
The Muhammad Yunus gift to Pakistani General meeting reflects the significant improvement in Bangladesh-Pakistan bilateral relations under the interim government. Trade statistics demonstrate this warming relationship, with bilateral commerce reaching $865 million in fiscal year 2025, representing a 20 percent increase from the previous year’s $711.7 million.​
- Pakistan’s exports to Bangladesh rose 19 percent to $787 million in FY2025
- Bangladesh’s exports to Pakistan increased 38 percent to $78 million during the same period
- A Pakistan-flagged cargo vessel docked at Chittagong Port for the first time in decades following the government change
The Muhammad Yunus gift to Pakistani General ceremony occurred as both nations announced plans to resume economic talks after a 20-year hiatus. Pakistan has expressed particular interest in importing jute from Bangladesh, while Bangladesh views Pakistan as an emerging sourcing destination for various commodities. During the July-September period of fiscal year 2025-26, Bangladesh’s exports to Pakistan grew 17 percent year-on-year, indicating sustained momentum in bilateral trade.​
The Muhammad Yunus gift to Pakistani General meeting also established new connectivity initiatives. General Mirza highlighted the launch of a shipping route between Karachi and Chittagong, with plans for a Dhaka-Karachi air route in the coming months. These developments represent a significant departure from the limited engagement that characterized Bangladesh-Pakistan relations during the Sheikh Hasina era.​
International Response and Diplomatic Implications
The Muhammad Yunus gift to Pakistani General controversy has generated widespread diplomatic concern and social media criticism. Indian political leaders and analysts have condemned the incident as a provocative gesture that undermines regional stability and violates principles of territorial sovereignty.​
Congress Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi specifically questioned the government’s response, tweeting: “Why isn’t the government lodging strong protests against Bangladesh and its leader for trying to insinuate in the form of a redrawn map to show Northeast India as part of Bangladesh?”. The Muhammad Yunus gift to Pakistani General has been characterized by critics as part of a broader pattern of anti-India rhetoric from the interim government.​
The incident recalls similar diplomatic tensions from December 2024, when India lodged a strong protest with Dhaka over a deleted social media post by Mahfuz Alam, a key aide of Bangladesh’s interim government, that claimed certain areas of Indian territory should be part of Bangladesh. At that time, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had reminded all concerned to be “mindful” of their public comments.​
The Muhammad Yunus gift to Pakistani General controversy also connects to previous statements by Yunus regarding India’s northeastern region. During his visit to China in April 2025, Yunus described India’s seven northeastern states as “landlocked” and invited China to expand its presence in the region, drawing sharp criticism from Indian officials. Prime Minister Narendra Modi subsequently delivered a stern message to Yunus during their meeting at the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, suggesting that Dhaka avoid “rhetoric that vitiates the environment.”​
Closing Assessment of Regional Security Implications
The Muhammad Yunus gift to Pakistani General controversy represents more than a diplomatic faux pas; it signals deeper shifts in South Asian geopolitical alignments that could have lasting implications for regional stability. The incident occurs against the backdrop of Bangladesh’s strategic reorientation under the interim government, characterized by closer ties with China and Pakistan while relations with India have deteriorated significantly since August 2024.
The Muhammad Yunus gift to Pakistani General episode highlights the fragility of India-Bangladesh relations, which were built over decades through economic cooperation, cultural exchanges, and joint development projects. The systematic nature of these territorial provocations, from social media posts to university exhibitions and now diplomatic gifts, suggests a coordinated effort to normalize the “Greater Bangladesh” narrative in public discourse.
For India, the Muhammad Yunus gift to Pakistani General controversy underscores the urgent need for diplomatic engagement to address these territorial misrepresentations before they become entrenched in bilateral relations. The incident also demonstrates how internal political changes in neighboring countries can rapidly transform regional security dynamics, requiring adaptive diplomatic strategies to maintain stability in South Asia’s complex geopolitical landscape.
