Just before the general elections in Bangladesh, ultra-Islamist and pro-Pakistan Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is termed as Tier-III terrorist organization by US courts, has waged jihad against India by launching “India Out” movement. Although BNP was established by military ruler Maj Gen Ziaur Rahman with key ideologies of promoting radical Islam as well anti-India and anti-Hindu sentiment with the goal of turning Bangladesh into a pseudo-Pakistan, this is for the first time the party has openly started spreading anti-India sentiment, which may ultimately pose serious security threat to India and the region. 

BNP made frantic bids in gaining support from the Biden administration through lobbyists and publicists. As a result, Washington made numerous attempts to intimidate or bully Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the ruling Awami League, while commenting on India’s policy towards Bangladesh, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that as a “close friend and partner” of Bangladesh, Dhaka’s vision of a “stable, peaceful and progressive nation” would continue to be supported and respected. Mr. Bagchi further stressed that the “election in the neighbouring country, scheduled for January 7, 2024, is a domestic matter”. 

An operative of Pakistani espionage agency Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) was arrested by an Indian law enforcement agency, within days of BNP’s waging Jihad against India. Pakistani ISI agent Tehseem alias Mota told interrogators he was frequenting Pakistan with his brother Kaleem and through connections made there, they were allegedly lured by ISI handlers with money and promises of arms,   

Several media outlets reported and gave details about the existence of Jihadist groups, including Islamic State and Al Qaeda as well as Pakistan-patronized terrorist entities operating inside India. It may be mentioned here that Bangladesh Nationalist Party maintains closer ties with several insurgency and terrorist groups such as the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), Hizb ul Mujahedin (HuM) etcetera for decades while it also maintains connections with Al-Qaeda and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of BNP who is living in the United Kingdom faces a life sentence for his direct involvement in his attempt to supply a huge volume of weapons, ammunition and explosives to ULFA. 

BNP also expresses solidarity with Hezbollah and other terrorist groups in the Middle East. According to media reports, in 2006 the coalition government of BNP and Jamaat had named a bridge as ‘Hezbollah Bridge’ in Bangladesh, honoring the Lebanese terrorist group. The bridge is located in the southern part of the South Asian country, spanning the Batakhali River in an area known as Cox’s Bazaar. Junior communications minister Salahuddin Ahmed named the bridge after the Lebanese group at the height of Hezbollah’s war with Israel. The bridge was renamed in 2013 by the Awami League government. 

BNP-Jamaat government’s Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan and a senior leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) issued several strong statements on the Israel-Palestine conflict, calling Israel’s actions “state terrorism” and “religious terrorism” and accusing the United States of sponsoring it. 

Meanwhile, activists of the BNP have been spreading anti-India and anti-Hindu propaganda on social media platforms and pushing forward their latest agenda of intensifying the ‘India Out’ movement. In addition to social media posts, BNP also is circulating video content instigating Bangladesh nationals to join their anti-India movement. 

Meanwhile, a Jihadist-terrorist named Zulkarnain Saer Khan, who in the recent past threatened to behead a Hindu rights activist and professor Kushal Baran Chakraborty and termed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) a “terrorist group", threatened Hindus and branded RSS leaders as “top terrorists”, in a post on X platform, he wrote, “The @albd1971 surely knows what side its bread is buttered on! It is bragging about Bangladesh becoming the fourth-largest export market of India as if it’s some badge of honour. I’m just surprised that the Awami League isn’t proclaiming yet that Bangladesh has become the 29th state of India given the way that country is dictating every sphere of our lives in the past 15 years”. 

Image Source: TSG