Bangladesh’s interim government has dismissed as “completely false” reports by numerous Indian outlets claiming that a map printed on a Bangladeshi book includes parts of India’s northeastern states. The stories alleged that Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus gifted a book to a Pakistani general showing Indian territory as part of Bangladesh.
The Chief Adviser’s Office called the claim “imaginary” and clarified that the book, The Art of Triumph, is a collection of graffiti and wall art created by Bangladeshi students during the July 2024 mass uprising. “No map depicting Indian territory was ever printed in or on the book,” the statement said.
The book has been used as a cultural gift to more than a dozen world leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden. Officials said its purpose is to highlight Bangladesh’s youth movement and creative resilience, not to provoke diplomatic tension.
Observers in Dhaka said the episode reflects a surge of misinformation in sections of India’s media, where sensational claims about Bangladesh have grown since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.