Money or death: How ISI-Jamaat is targeting minorities in Bangladesh

New Delhi: Intelligence officials have revealed that the targeting of minorities in Bangladesh by the ISI and Jamaat-e-Islami is part of a larger strategic plan.

The groups aim to erase minority communities from the country, turning Bangladesh into a full-fledged Islamic nation. However, for those executing the attacks on the ground, the campaign has evolved into a systematic extortion racket.

Officials say the situation is worsened by the inaction of the local administration. In most cases where minorities, especially Hindus, have been murdered, the killers first demand money, and if it is not paid, the victim is killed. 

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These perpetrators are taking full advantage of the system and attempting to earn a quick buck, another official added.

There is no formal hit-list, the officials clarified. They randomly target individuals, reach out to them for money, and if the demand is refused, they carry out the killings.

A case in point is that of Sarat Chakraborty, who was killed by a mob. Just two days before his death, radical elements demanded a huge sum of money from him and threatened to abduct his wife if he did not comply. Unable to pay, he was brutally murdered.

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According to an Intelligence Bureau official, these killings are completely institutionalised.

The same method Pakistan has employed for years is now being implemented in Bangladesh on a large scale. The ISI and Jamaat want the minorities wiped out, and those carrying out the killings are profiting by running an extortion racket, the official added.

The larger strategic aim of the ISI, officials say, is to foster anti-India sentiment among Bangladeshis. They hope these killings will have a ripple effect in India, instigating communal clashes, an official explained.

Officials warn that these attacks are unlikely to stop. These radicals have the backing of the Muhammad Yunus-led establishment. Looking at the investigations, it is clear that the police are not interested in closing the cases. Even those arrested are not punished, said one officer.

Authorities are aware that harsher punishments could potentially curb the targeting. However, the manner in which cases are handled—and killings continue—shows significant interference by Pakistan. The country is weaponising religious identity to destabilise its neighbours. It has done this in Jammu and Kashmir, Kabul, and now Bangladesh, an official added.

The ISI is also working to weaken Dhaka’s strategic autonomy and maintain a sense of insecurity in the country. Additionally, the agency is linking India to Bangladesh’s internal problems, blaming New Delhi for the turmoil.

With elections only a month away, officials say the ISI is attempting to create an anti-India environment across Bangladesh. There are even attempts to delay the upcoming elections.

This week, a March for Justice demanding a thorough probe into the killing of student leader Osman Hadi was held. Officials say the march focused less on justice for Hadi and more on demanding a ban on Indians in Bangladesh.

Intelligence Bureau sources warn that the precedent being set is dangerous. The radicals involved in minority killings will continue their attacks while seeking to profit through extortion, an official said.