Will Bangladesh become a launching pad for anti-India activities?
There are reports that Pakistani terrorists including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed is looking to open up a new front against India from Bangladesh.
The development comes in the backdrop of Pakistan’s Navy chief arriving in Dhaka on Sunday for a four-day visit. It also comes in the aftermath of a Pakistani ship arriving Bangladesh’s main port – the first such visit since 1971.
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Bangladesh and Pakistan have seemingly drawn closer since the fall of the Sheik Hasina regime in August 2024, a development that has left officials in New Delhi concerned. Saeed and the LeT are considered the masterminds of several attacks India including the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the 2001 attack on Parliament.
But what happened? What do we know?
Let’s take a closer look.
What happened?
A senior LeT commander has claimed that Pakistan is preparing to attack India through Bangladesh. Saifullah Saif claimed, “Hafiz Saeed is not sitting idle, he is preparing to attack India through Bangladesh.” Saif made the remarks at a rally on 30 October in Pakistan’s Khairpur Tamewali. The clip of his remarks has since gone viral. Firstpost has not independently confirmed the authenticity of the clip.
Saif claimed that Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives are already active in “East Pakistan”, i.e. Bangladesh, and are “prepared to answer India for Operation Sindoor.”
There were
reports that Saeed had sent one of his associates to Bangladesh, where he reportedly incited local youth to commit to jihad and also provided them with terror training.
Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer, General Secretary of Pakistan’s Markazi Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith and a close aide of Saeed, reportedly arrived in Dhaka on 25 October. Zaheer, who landed at Shah Makhdum Airport in Rajshahi, was reportedly welcomed by Abdur Rahim bin Abdur Razzaq – a member of Al Jamia As-Salafia, an Islamic research institute linked to the Ahl-e-Hadith movement in Bangladesh.
Zaheer then embarked on a tour of districts along the border, including Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj, and made provocative speeches while meeting radical Islamists.
“You must be ready to sacrifice yourself for the cause of Islam… ready to sacrifice your children as well. We must stand prepared to confront secular and liberal forces,” Zaheer was quoted as saying during his speech. “From Pakistan to Bangladesh, all Muslims will unite against the seculars.”
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADPakistan’s top military officer, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, met Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka to discuss trade, defence, and regional security. Bangladesh and Pakistan have seemingly drawn closer since the fall of the Sheik Hasina regime in August 2024, a development that has left officials in New Delhi concerned. Image Courtesy: @ChiefAdviserGoB/X.
Zaheer added, “The Kashmiris are being deprived of their freedom. It is Pakistan’s responsibility to raise a strong voice against the anti-Islamic laws and the oppressive acts in Indian Kashmir. By the grace of Allah, the day will come when Kashmir will become part of Pakistan.”
This was his second trip to Bangladesh — after February 2025 — since the Yunus regime took power. Zaheer’s trip coincided with Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, arriving in Dhaka on 24 October. Mirza was accompanied by six people including his wife Shazia Sahir, Brigadier Mohammad Rashid Khan, Commodore Khan Muhammad Asif, and two Majors.
‘Will come into India’
“Allama Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer went to Bangladesh. He spoke of Kashmir, that Bengal (Bangladesh), which was snatched from us, which Indira Gandhi had said that ‘we have drowned the two-nation theory in the Bay of Bengal’. Today, by the grace of Allah, that son of a lion, that orator, Allama Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer, is roaring like his father, like a lion, inside Bangladesh,” Saif said.
Saif further claimed, “He is talking about Kashmir and Palestine. India is worried and distressed by this. They say, ‘Hafiz Saeed’s right-hand man has gone to Bangladesh. Now, from Bangladesh, they will come into India.’”
Visuals and clips of the speech showed Saif urging those attending to commit war against India. Disturbingly, children were seen attending the rally.
He also falsely claimed that Operation Sindoor – which India launched as a response to the Pahalgam terror attack – was actually a victory for the Pakistani Army.
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“If you have learnt the lesson of jihad, when you entered the field on the night of 10 May, Allah made you a superpower in the world. India was attacking you, America was with them, all this was happening. Today, they have all sat down. Allah has established you in the world,” Saif added. “Now, America is with us, and Bangladesh is also getting closer to Pakistan again.”
Bangladesh analysts have raised concerns that Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), the front for the LeT, is increasing its operational network in Bangladesh. Analysts are concerned this could result in radical ideas being spread and could give rise to cross-border extremism.
Pakistan Navy chief and ship arrive in Bangladesh
On Sunday, Pakistan’s Naval Chief, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, arrived in Dhaka.
Ashraf, who is on a four-day trip to Bangladesh, met with Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman at the Army Headquarters. The officials discussed ways to increase defence cooperation between the two countries and enhance military capabilities.
They also discussed boosting military cooperation through bilateral training, seminars, and visits.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADThe visit came a day after a Pakistani naval ship anchored off Bangladesh’s main port in the southeastern city of Chattogram. AI-generated image for representative purpose
The visit came a day after a Pakistani naval ship anchored off Bangladesh’s main port in the southeastern city of Chattogram for a four-day goodwill visit that will last until 12 November. The PNS Saif arrived at Bangladesh’s Chattogram (Chittagong) Port on Friday — the first such visit since the 1971 Liberation War. The development marks a dramatic turnaround in bilateral ties after nearly two decades of hostility.
Since coming to power, Yunus has met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif twice – on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last year and later during the D-8 Summit in Cairo. Bangladesh has also resumed direct trade with Pakistan. The two countries have unveiled a slew of measures, including visa-free travel, fully-funded scholarships for students, and the resumption of Track II diplomacy.
Whatever happens next, India will have to keep a close eye on proceedings.
With inputs from agencies
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