Rajnath Singh's caution to Yunus unsettles Bangladesh, prompts guarded response

Bangladesh appeared visibly unsettled after defence minister Rajnath Singh’s strong message to Dhaka’s interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, cautioning him to “watch his words” amid growing anti-India rhetoric from the neighbouring country.

Singh, in an exclusive interview to Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi, hit a nerve in Dhaka, prompting an unusually defensive reaction from Bangladesh’s foreign office.

“We do not seek tense relations with Bangladesh, but Yunus should be cautious with his statements,” Singh said in the interview aired on Friday.

He emphasised that while New Delhi remains committed to maintaining cordial ties with its neighbours, it is fully capable of handling “any kind of challenge.”

"India has the capacity to overcome any challenges and resolve all problems that come our way. But we are a people who believe in peace; we do not seek unrest. This, however, does not mean India is weak. Any affront to India’s dignity will be met with a strong and resolute response — that is all I want to say," he said.

In a sharp response, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Singh’s remarks as “incorrect” and “not respectful of diplomatic nicety.”

Yunus’s recent actions, including gifting of a controversial book, Art of Triumph, to Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and a visiting Turkish parliamentary delegation, have already raised eyebrows across the region.

The book, a compilation of anti-establishment graffiti drawn by students during last August’s violent protests that toppled the Hasina government, is being viewed as a thinly veiled attempt to glorify unrest. The book also features a map that shows Northeast as part of Bangladesh,

Notably, the Bangladeshi foreign office did not deny reports that Yunus had shared the contentious artwork with both the Pakistani general and the Turkish lawmakers.

Instead, Dhaka attempted to play down the matter, reiterating its commitment to “sovereign equality” and “mutual respect”.

There has been growing unease over Yunus’s interim regime and its increasingly erratic posture toward India since it came to power following Sheikh Hasina’s exit.

Yunus has made several provocative comments and gestures that Indian officials view as needlessly antagonistic.