'Be clear bro, it'll take just 13 mins...': Tehseen Poonawalla shuts down Bangladeshi over provocative 'Greater Bangladesh' map

Venture capitalist Tehseen Poonawalla on Sunday delivered a scathing response to a Bangladeshi person, MD Nahidul Islam, who shared a controversial map of "Greater Bangladesh" that included parts of India. Islam, who described himself as a businessman, posted the map on social media with the caption: "We also have courage. We can dream."

Poonawalla’s rebuttal was swift and firm. "We treat you as a friend but if you cross the line, I promise, you will wish you never messed with us," he said in his reply. "It took us 13 days to create your nation; it will take us 13 minutes to send it to oblivion!! Be clear bro!!"

The exchange comes amid heightened anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh following the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government. The interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus has drawn closer to Pakistan and lifted restrictions on extremist elements, leading to a surge in provocative anti-India statements and attacks against minority Hindus.

Mahfuz Alam, a prominent figure in Bangladesh's interim government and a close aide of Yunus, recently posted a similar map on social media, showing parts of West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam as part of Bangladesh. The post triggered widespread backlash and was subsequently deleted. Alam, considered a de facto minister in the interim government, has been criticised for fanning tensions with India.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly reacted to the incident. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "We have strongly registered a protest on this issue. We understand that the post being referred to has reportedly been taken down. We would like to remind all concerned to be mindful of their public comments." 

Relations between India and Bangladesh have significantly strained since the interim Yunus government assumed power in August. One of its early actions included lifting the ban on the pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami party, which had been banned by Sheikh Hasina for its militant and anti-secular activities. 

The Yunus government's decision has emboldened radical Islamist forces, many of which are suspected of having links to extremist organisations. Minority communities, particularly Hindus, have borne the brunt of this shift. According to the Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (HBCUC), over 2,000 incidents of violence against Hindus were reported between August 4 and 20. These included nine murders, 69 attacks on places of worship, and violence against women.

It is under Yunus' watch, the police arrested Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das. The process had also been started to ban the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). However, the high court refused to ban ISKCON.  

"There seems to be a shift towards Islamist radicalism,” Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, told India Today. "It is certainly on the rise as is religious intolerance, and that is a cause for worry for India. India is also concerned that the new dispensation will push for closer ties with Pakistan and be inimical to our interests. Pakistan could get a base to stoke trouble in our northeastern states as they did earlier."