Interim leader Muhammad Yunus hands “Art of Triumph” book with distorted map to Pakistan’s top general amid growing Dhaka-Islamabad ties and strained India-Bangladesh relations
Dhaka: In a development likely to stir diplomatic tensions, Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus on Saturday gifted Pakistan’s General Sahir Shamshad Mirza a controversial art book titled “Art of Triumph”,whose cover depicts India’s northeastern states as part of Bangladesh.
General Mirza, Pakistan’s second most powerful military officer after General Asim Munir and a potential future army chief, met Yunus in Dhaka on October 26 to discuss defense and security cooperation. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has not yet issued an official response to the map controversy.
The Art of Triumph, released by Yunus in September 2024, showcases graffiti and paintings created during Bangladesh’s JulyAugust 2024 student protests. The book has reportedly been gifted to over a dozen global leaders, including former US President Joe Biden, Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni, Canada’s former PM Justin Trudeau, Brazil’s President Lula da Silva, and former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken making it a recurring political and diplomatic symbol.
This is not the first time Dhaka has faced backlash over map distortions. In December 2024, Yunus’s advisor Mahfuz Alam posted an altered map showing parts of West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura within Bangladesh’s borders. The post was later deleted after public outrage.
The latest incident comes amid strained India-Bangladesh relations following former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, contrasted by increasing Pakistan–Bangladesh cooperation. Since late 2024, both nations have revived diplomatic channels, initiated direct trade, and agreed on enhanced military training exchanges.
Observers see Yunus’s gesture as a symbolic realignment of Dhaka’s foreign policy one likely to deepen friction with New Delhi while strengthening strategic ties with Islamabad.
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