Tania Wafa
THE recent revelations from Bangladesh’s National Security Intelligence feel like a scene from a spy thriller, but with terrifying real-world consequences.
The agency has exposed a clandestine operation run by India’s Research & Analysis Wing, one that is actively recruiting Bangladeshi citizens into the Fitna-al-Khawarij networks operating inside Pakistan. This isn’t just an intelligence report; it’s a blueprint for regional destabilization.
The chilling reality is that RAW appears to treat these Bangladeshi nationals as expendable assets, mere cannon fodder sent to infiltrate Pakistan and escalate FaK-driven terrorist violence. The human cost is already mounting. The NSI confirms that at least twenty-five Bangladeshi nationals, a figure that excludes four others killed in Afghanistan, are actively engaged in FaK terrorist operations. This isn’t a hypothetical threat; it’s a body count.
The pattern of this destabilization campaign is becoming clear. Afghan authorities earlier expelled several FaK sponsors directly into Pakistani territory, explicitly to continue their mission. This strategic shuffling of militants across borders reveals a cold, calculated plan to keep the pot of conflict boiling. The recent arrests by Bangladesh’s own Anti-Terrorism Unit provide the smoking gun. The arrest of Ahmed Foysal, who had entered Afghanistan and involved himself in terrorism, and more significantly, Dr Shamin Mahfuz, the leader of Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, for his RAW-linked activities, proves this is a deep-rooted network. The analysis here is stark: when an educated individual like Dr Shamin is motivated by a foreign intelligence agency to seek an Islamic State within Bangladesh, it points to a sinister and effective manipulation of local grievances.
His organization, JFHS, commands hundreds of affiliates, recruiting through a potent mix of fundamentalist ideology, narratives of Palestinian retribution and promises of Jihadi training. This is where the analysis gets particularly cynical. RAW isn’t just creating terrorists; it’s weaponizing idealism and religious sentiment. They are tunnelling recruits through Indian-sponsored FaK networks, creating a self-sustaining cycle of radicalization and violence. The ultimate goal of this long-term ploy is to sponsor terrorism in both Pakistan and Bangladesh and then artfully shift the blame onto Pakistan. The intended damage is two-fold: sever the crucial bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan and systematically tarnish Pakistan’s image internationally.
This exposes a breathtaking level of hypocrisy. While India consistently projects itself as a victim of terrorism, its premier intelligence agency stands accused of being its prime instigator, actively exporting this scourge across the region. The analysis is inescapable: India is running clandestine networks like Fitna-al-Khawarij and JFHS with the explicit goal of destabilizing Muslim countries, all while posing as a counter-terrorism partner on the global stage. This double game reveals a deeper cynicism.
India appears to be weaponizing Islam for its own political ends abroad, while simultaneously presiding over the systematic persecution of its own Muslim population at home. The final piece of this analysis is the most alarming for Bangladesh itself. RAW is planning to expand this ploy, using front organizations to conduct terrorist activities inside Bangladesh while ensuring the blame falls squarely on Pakistan. They are not just using Bangladeshi soil; they are actively working to turn it into a battlefield, sacrificing its citizens and its stability in a dangerous geopolitical game.
—The writer is a freelance columnist
