‘Bangladesh threatening India’: Nawaz Sharif aide warns of Operation Sindoor-style action against Dhaka under Modi's 'aggressive policy'

Pakistani commentator Najam Sethi suggested India could respond forcefully to Bangladesh’s recent provocative statements, referencing past actions against Pakistan. His remarks highlight rising India-Bangladesh tensions and Pakistan’s role in amplifying regional instability.

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Pakistani commentator Najam Sethi has sparked fresh controversy by suggesting that India could respond forcefully to what he described as provocative posturing from Bangladesh, even hinting at an Operation Sindoor–style action against Dhaka. The remarks reflect not only rising regional tensions but also a familiar attempt by voices in Pakistan to project instability in India’s neighbourhood while deflecting attention from Islamabad’s own record.

Speaking to a Pakistani news channel, Sethi, who is considered close to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, claimed that New Delhi would not ignore recent statements emanating from Bangladesh. He argued that India could act just as it has in the past against Pakistan.

“Bangladesh is threatening India that it will do this or that to its seven sisters. I think India will do something, similar to what it did against Pakistan. The type of aggressive policy Narendra Modi follows … I don’t think he will ignore all this. There’s a sentiment there that India has to show that it’s a great power,” Sethi said.

pic.twitter.com/0ZtHIssg2F🤣India will bash Bangladesh like Pakistan: Pak analyst Najam Sethi “Hum bhi pele gaye the, tum bhi pele jaoge” 🤣#India#Bangladesh#Pakistan#NajamSethi

— Ravi K Singh (@rksingh247) January 12, 2026

His comments come amid growing strain in India–Bangladesh ties following the ouster of former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in exile in India. Since then, Dhaka’s political discourse has taken a sharper and more confrontational tone, raising concerns in New Delhi.

Tensions escalated further after Bangladesh’s interim chief Muhammad Yunus made remarks during a visit to China last year, describing India’s northeastern states, known as the Seven Sisters, as “landlocked” and portraying Bangladesh as the “only guardian” or “gateway” to the ocean. The comments were widely seen in India as dismissive and strategically loaded.

Indian leaders reacted strongly. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called the remarks “offensive and strongly condemnable,” while BJP MP Nishikant Dubey described them as “shameful and provocative.” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also took a swipe, saying regional cooperation must rest on an integrated outlook and cannot be based on “cherry-picking.”

Despite the sharp exchanges, New Delhi has maintained that it seeks stable and friendly relations with Bangladesh. In December, India’s Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that it had “never allowed its territory to be used for activities inimical to the interests of the friendly people of Bangladesh,” rejecting Dhaka’s accusations that India was enabling anti-Bangladesh activities.

Sethi’s remarks, however, underline a troubling convergence. Pakistan’s tendency to amplify tensions and Bangladesh’s increasingly strident rhetoric together risk injecting volatility into a region where India has consistently argued for restraint and cooperation.