‘India must break into pieces for peace in Bangladesh,’ says ex-general in Dhaka

In a rabble-rousing statement that could further deepen the schism between New Delhi and Dhaka, a former Bangladeshi army general has said that Bangladesh would not see “complete peace” unless India “breaks into pieces”. Brigadier General (retd) Abdullahil Amaan Azmi, the son of former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Ghulam Azam, made the remarks during an event at the National Press Club in Dhaka, drawing indignation in India.

“Bangladesh will not see full peace as long as India does not break into pieces,” Azmi said, while claiming that New Delhi “always keeps unrest alive” inside the country.

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Azmi is the son of Ghulam Azam, the infamous former Jamaat-e-Islami chief and a convicted war criminal responsible for the genocide of Hindus and pro-liberation Bengalis during the 1971 Liberation War.

He also accused India of fuelling unrest in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region from 1975 to 1996.

“During the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman government, the Parbatya Chattogram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) was formed... Its armed wing was the Shanti Bahini. India sheltered them, provided arms and training, which led to bloodshed in the hills from 1975 to 1996,” Azmi claimed.

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Azmi also criticised the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord signed between the government and the PCJSS in Dhaka on December 2, 1997, alleging that the surrender of arms by the Shanti Bahini was “only for show”.

Azmi, who has been a controversial figure in Bangladesh, often uses social media platforms to criticise India and comment on regional geopolitics. His remarks are damaging for bilateral ties between the neighbours and come at a time when India and Bangladesh are trying to reset ties after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government.