Rajnath Singh
DHAKA: Bangladesh on Sunday sharply reacted to defence minister Rajnath Singh ’s remarks accusing chief adviser Muhammad Yunus of making provocative statements, saying they were “incorrect” and “not respectful of propriety and diplomatic nicety”.During an interview, Singh was asked about Yunus’s recent “provocative statements” and gifting a book to a senior Pakistani military official that showed “some areas of northeast India as part of Bangladesh”. “It is very unfortunate. He should be careful. As far as neighbours are concerned, we want to maintain ties. We do not seek tense relations with our neighbours,” Singh had said.Bangladesh foreign ministry spokesperson S M Mahbubul Alam told reporters, “We consider Singh’s comments incorrect and unhelpful and not respectful of propriety and diplomatic nicety.” He added, “Bangladesh also believes that differences in perspectives are best addressed through constructive and respectful engagement.”Hardliners here have been claiming that chunks of India’s northeastern states and West Bengal are parts of Bangladesh and have justified the illegal migration of Bangladeshis there. Yunus, who gifted the coffee table book to Pakistan joint chiefs of staff committee chairman General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, had earlier this year pitched for the “extension of the Chinese economy to encompass India’s northeast”.
