Inside ISI conspiracy to incite anti-India fury in Bangladesh

New Delhi: Indian intelligence agencies have flagged a deliberate attempt by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to fuel anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh with the aim of provoking New Delhi into a military response, officials said as the situation in the neighbouring country continues to deteriorate.

According to intelligence inputs, ISI-backed elements are seeking to portray India as a protector of ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and a backer of her Awami League party, in order to inflame public anger. The agencies believe the objective is to provoke India into attacking Bangladesh.

The anti-Hasina sentiment that followed the August 2024 uprising in Bangladesh is being exploited by the ISI, officials said. After being removed from power, Sheikh Hasina fled to India and has remained in New Delhi since. Following the collapse of her government and the appointment of Muhammad Yunus as head of a caretaker interim administration, widespread unrest reportedly spread across the country, with street violence becoming frequent alongside attacks on minority communities.

An official said intelligence agencies have observed a sustained effort to cultivate anti-India sentiment over the past year. “The systematic persecution of minorities, especially Hindus, appears to be a clear attempt to provoke India,” the official said, referring to disturbing visuals of a Hindu man being lynched that have circulated widely in recent days.

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According to officials, ISI-backed social media handles are deliberately amplifying such clips in India to provoke public outrage. “The aim is to put pressure on the Indian government to act militarily against Bangladesh and, at the same time, make India look like the aggressor in the eyes of the international community,” an official said.

Another official stressed that India has no intention of acting as an aggressor. “India will, however, do everything necessary to protect its integrity and sovereignty,” the official said, adding that the ISI is also aware that any escalation could derail Bangladesh’s scheduled February 2026 elections. “This is precisely what the ISI and Jamaat-e-Islami are planning, as they want the elections postponed or cancelled so they can continue to run the country through their proxy, Muhammad Yunus,” the official added.

The unrest has intensified following the shooting of two student leaders, Osman Hadi and Motaleb Sikder, within a week. Bangladeshi agencies have blamed members of the Awami League for the attacks, a narrative that officials say is being used to further discredit Sheikh Hasina and her party.

“The message being pushed is that India is sheltering a leader whose party is responsible for killings in Bangladesh,” an Intelligence Bureau official said. “The ISI is trying to deepen hatred against India so that violence escalates further. This mirrors the tactics it has used in Pakistan.”

Experts say New Delhi faces a complex challenge in dealing with the evolving situation in Bangladesh. While reiterating its desire for good relations with neighbouring countries, India has begun engaging with the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) after the Awami League was effectively sidelined following an electoral ban.

The BNP, which commands a marginally higher vote share than Jamaat-e-Islami, has decided not to align with the Jamaat as it had in the past. However, officials believe efforts are underway to delay elections to keep the BNP out of power. “The intention is to prevent the emergence of any government in Bangladesh that is friendly towards India, which Pakistan considers detrimental to its interests,” another official said.

— IANS