Bangladesh should stand with India on Arunachal Pradesh

Bangladesh should stand with India in rejecting China’s attempt to strengthen its territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh through repeated renaming of places.

India formally identified 27 locations by their standard names after China repeatedly renamed places in the state. Beijing has issued six batches covering 112 locations since 2017. Changing names on maps, however, does not establish sovereignty.

China disputes India’s position and rejects Arunachal Pradesh’s status as an Indian state. But such claims should not be advanced through unilateral cartographic exercises intended to reinforce territorial demands.

Bangladesh should make its position clear. It should support India’s territorial integrity in Arunachal Pradesh while encouraging peaceful negotiations over unresolved border questions.

For Bangladesh, this is also a matter of regional stability. A South Asia where borders are challenged through unilateral naming campaigns is not in Bangladesh’s interest.