After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, various elements in Bangladesh are openly calling for separating the north-eastern states of India from rest of the country. In latest such comments, Colonel Abdul Haque, a retired officer of the Bangladesh Army and a leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, have now called for the separation of India’s seven north-eastern states, arguing that Bangladesh would “never be safe” until that happens.

Addressing an event in Bangladesh, Col. Haq openly urged them to get military training with the goal of “taking on India.” He declared, “Until we do not separate the 7 north-eastern states, Bangladesh is not safe.” He said that they need to convert the 7 states of India into 7 independent countries. He also referred to the comments of the 7 states by interim chief Yunus.

He further said that people in northeast India are waiting to secede from India, but they (Bangladeshis) have not been able to help. ‘I am saying this openly, not confidentially’, he added. ‘If they can occupy our country, why we can’t create 7 new countries there’, he asked. Abdul Haq said that to achieve this objective, they need to give military training to the youths.

Haq said, ‘People say you can’t change your neighbour, I say yes we can’t change neighbour, but we can create new neighbour. We will be able to turn Bangladesh into a stronger independent nation with the creation of new neighbours.’

He also accused India of trying to interefere in Bangladesh by creating political parties, and also accused Awami Leage of working for India. Haq alleged that India has infiltrated into the politics, administration and even the army.

The Jamaat leader also accused India of wanting to take over the Chittagong Hill Tracts by cutting the 22 km wide chickens neck that separates the region from rest of Bangladesh. If they occupy the chickens neck, it will be easy for them to take over the rest of the region, he claimed.

To prevent India from taking over Chittagong Hill Tracts, everyone needs to come together like the July protests, he appealed.

Col. Haq, who retired in 2023, is known for following the Jamaat-e-Islami ideology and is an active member of Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Both the BNP and Jamaat are widely seen as parties that hold anti-India views.

This is not the first time a figure from Bangladesh’s military has spoken against India. Earlier, former Bangladesh Army General Abdullahi Aman Azmi stated that “true peace in Bangladesh is impossible until India is divided.”

Even the current head of the interim government, Mohammad Yunus, recently caused debate by calling India’s Northeast a landlocked region connected only through the narrow Siliguri Corridor.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here