Azmi made the remarks during a public forum in Dhaka where he accused India of perpetually fomenting unrest within Bangladesh, including involvement in the decades-long insurgency in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. He claimed that from 1975 to 1996, India provided shelter, arms and training to the armed wing of the Parbatya Chattogram Jana Samhati Samiti, the insurgent Shanti Bahini — a charge that evokes old wounds from the CHT conflict.
Azmi, son of former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Ghulam Azam, has a history of inflammatory anti-India rhetoric. In 2024, he called for a rewrite of Bangladesh’s constitution and national anthem, claiming that the current anthem was imposed by India and did not reflect the “true” identity of Bangladesh.
The former general’s new statement was met with sharp condemnation from Indian analysts, who described it as emblematic of a sect of radical opinion within Bangladesh that threatens bilateral trust and regional peace. One former Indian Army officer observed that such remarks reflect a mindset slowly festered in segments of Dhaka’s fringe power ecosystem — one that seems emboldened now in the wake of political shifts in Bangladesh.
The comments come at a delicate juncture in diplomacy. Bangladesh’s envoy to India, Muhammad Riaz Hamidullah, has recently emphasised the need to build a “new canvas” of cooperation between the two countries, citing deep economic interdependence and cultural ties. Hamidullah’s appeal to rethink the bilateral relationship stands in stark contrast to Azmi’s demand for India’s fragmentation.
Analysts warn that Azmi’s words — though likely resonating with a narrow fringe — risk derailing diplomatic efforts, especially as Bangladesh appears to tilt toward strategic engagement with external powers. In the past months, reports have surfaced about growing Chinese and Pakistani influence in Dhaka, raising red flags in New Delhi about security vulnerabilities along India’s eastern border.
Within Bangladesh, Azmi’s stance exposes the resurgence of divisive voices rooted in a controversial legacy. His father, Ghulam Azam, was convicted for war crimes related to atrocities in the 1971 Liberation War, a history that many regard as incompatible with calls for peace through antagonism. Azmi’s repeated provocations feed into a broader discourse about national identity and the role of fringe political narratives in shaping Bangladesh’s future.