Indian intelligence agencies have issued a serious warning that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader Hafiz Saeed may be planning to open a new front against India, potentially using Bangladesh as a launchpad, India Today has reported. The warning comes amid a sudden revival of ties between Dhaka and Islamabad. The relationship between the two countries had remained largely frozen since Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War. However, there have been high-level engagements between the two nations recently that have raised deep concerns in New Delhi.
Pakistan-Bangladesh Military Engagements
Just days ago, Pakistan’s Navy Chief, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, visited Dhaka for a four-day trip. Simultaneously, the Pakistani naval warship PNS Saif docked at Chattogram port. It is the first Pakistani warship to enter Bangladeshi waters since 1971. According to the reports, quoting officials, the visit is not merely symbolic but strategically significant.
Adding to India’s concerns, a viral video from Khairpur Tamewali in Pakistan shows senior LeT commander Saifullah Saif claiming, “Hafiz Saeed is preparing to attack India through Bangladesh.”
India Today report, citing intelligence sources, cautions that these statements cannot be dismissed as mere rhetoric, especially given recent covert activities linked to Pakistan-based extremist networks.
Hafiz Saeed’s Associate Visits Bangladesh
Reports indicate that Allama Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer, a close associate of Hafiz Saeed, secretly visited Bangladesh in late October. During his trip, he reportedly met with radical groups in border districts, including Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj. Reports state that Zaheer’s message was clear to mobilize local youth for jihad and coordinate efforts from Pakistan to Bangladesh against “secular and liberal forces.”
Zaheer’s visit coincided with another high-level military engagement. Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, arrived in Dhaka with a senior military delegation. Analysts say these exchanges, from navy ship visits to joint military talks, indicate a swift recalibration of Dhaka’s foreign policy approach.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
