Hyderabad, May 2 -- The recent plea by a retired Bangladeshi army officer for combative action against India has ignited severe diplomatic interest at a time of already strained ties between the two countries.

Major General (Retd) ALM Fazlur Rahman, who is the ex-head of Bangladesh Rifles and the present chairman of the National Independent Commission of Inquiry, advocated in a Facebook posting that Bangladesh should "invade and occupy" India's seven northeastern states if New Delhi attacked Pakistan, reported HT.

A former army man, considered close to Bangladesh's chief advisor Muhammad Yunus, went further to call for starting talks with China on a combined military deal to aid such an action.

Rahman's comments are made in the afterma...