ISI and China behind ousting Hasina, installing new govt in Bangladesh: Report

New Delhi: The Indian intelligence agencies suspect the hand of Pakistan’s external intelligence agency, ISI, and its Chinese counterpart in recent developments in Bangladesh, leading to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina as Prime Minister.

Last month, former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla expressed concerns over the ongoing violent protests in Bangladesh, adding that there is the possibility of radical elements, Pakistan's ISI, and other interests inimical to Bangladesh being involved in the protests.

"There could be other elements that are inimical to Bangladesh's interests, like the ISI being involved. I mean, there are reports of that, and whether that's correct or not, the government has to conduct its own investigation to find out. But people are trying to take advantage of the situation," he then said.

Barely a month later, the protest escalated, and Hasina was forced to flee the country. According to a report in TOI, the ISI-backed Jamaat-e-Islami had received financial backing earlier this year to destabilise the Sheikh Hasina government. Reports also indicate that Chinese entities operating in Pakistan have sourced a significant portion of this funding.

Meanwhile, a key organiser of Bangladesh’s student protests Tuesday called for Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus to head an interim government, a day after long-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country following weeks of deadly unrest.

Hasina resigned and fled the country by helicopter as protesters defied military curfew orders to march on the capital, before thousands of demonstrators stormed her official residence and other buildings associated with her party and family.

Her departure came after weeks of protests against a quota system for government jobs descended into deadly violence, fuelling a broader challenge to her 15-year rule. The government attempted to quell demonstrations by shutting schools, imposing curfews, and sending in troops to shoot tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition, leading to some 300 deaths, but those heavy-handed tactics only drove further discontent.