Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has cautioned Bangladesh’s Interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus to “watch his words,” stressing that India does not wish to see tensions escalate between the two countries. Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China, Singh reiterated that New Delhi seeks friendly and stable relations with all its neighbours, including Bangladesh.
In an exclusive interaction with Network18 group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi, Singh underscored India’s preference for diplomacy and restraint. “We do not seek tense relations with Bangladesh, but Yunus should be cautious with his statements,” he said. He emphasised that while India is fully capable of handling any challenge, it remains committed to maintaining harmony in the region.
Relations between New Delhi and Dhaka have turned uneasy following political upheaval in Bangladesh earlier this year. The ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through violent protests ushered in a turbulent phase in the country’s politics.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus assumed the role of interim chief adviser after Hasina fled the country, and is currently in India in what is seen as an attempt to recalibrate Dhaka’s foreign posture.
Since taking charge, Yunus has become increasingly vocal in his criticism of India, fuelling concerns about a shift in Dhaka’s traditional stance. His rhetoric has been described by Indian officials as provocative and unhelpful, particularly given the historic cooperation shared between the two nations across economic, security, and cultural fronts.
Recent controversy erupted when Yunus gifted a symbolic artwork to Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and a Turkish parliamentary delegation.
The piece, titled Art of Triumph, was reportedly intended to celebrate youth activism during Bangladesh’s recent student-led protests. However, according to News18, the artwork allegedly contains maps and imagery reflecting a concept of a “Greater Bangladesh” that absorbs India’s north-eastern states, including Assam.
Sources quoted by the media suggested that the depiction was not merely artistic but ideologically charged, constituting a “message” to transnational networks aligned with Dhaka’s interim regime. The document allegedly featured military-style “battle plans” and “post-victory management frameworks” envisioning the economic integration of Assam under Bangladeshi influence.
This act has sparked outrage in policy circles and drawn sharp responses from New Delhi. Officials have interpreted Yunus’s moves as deliberate provocations, divergent from long-standing bilateral traditions established during Hasina’s tenure, which prioritised coordination on issues of border security, trade, and counter-extremism.
Defence Minister Singh’s statement represents India’s first direct caution to Yunus since the controversy surfaced. By urging restraint, Singh sought to reaffirm India’s diplomatic patience while making clear that New Delhi will not tolerate efforts undermining its territorial sovereignty or regional equilibrium.