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Intelligence agencies have raised an alarm about the ISI’s evolving tactics, which center around weaponising Rohingya refugees and radical elements within Bangladesh to destabilise India
Pakistan, following setbacks along the Line of Control (LOC), now aims to exploit Bangladesh to infiltrate India’s eastern borders.
Pakistan, following setbacks along the Line of Control (LOC), now aims to exploit Bangladesh to infiltrate India’s eastern borders by exploiting the Rohingya refugee crisis and collaborating with radical Bangladeshi groups, CNN-News18 has learnt.
Intelligence agencies have raised an alarm about the ISI’s evolving tactics, which center around weaponising Rohingya refugees and radical elements within Bangladesh to destabilise India.
Sources said the key concerns include reports of Rohingya and Al Qaeda-linked militants receiving training near the Tripura and Mizoram borders. The ISI seeks to leverage Bangladesh’s existing infiltration networks into India and exploit anti-India sentiment, particularly in a post-Hasina government. The departure of Sheikh Hasina from Bangladesh poses a significant threat to India’s security as her regime facilitated swift intelligence sharing, they added.
Top intelligence sources reveal that Pakistan is focusing on Rohingya groups who fled Myanmar after attacking the Myanmar army in 2017. Over 9,50,000 stateless Rohingya refugees currently reside in Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya and Teknaf sub-districts, transforming these areas into hubs of crime and illegal drug smuggling.
The sources said ISI is exploiting these vulnerabilities by using Rohingya refugees for infiltration into India. These individuals are reportedly receiving training for this purpose.
Beyond the Rohingyas, groups like ABT and Hizb Ul Tahir are also being trained in these areas, particularly at a camp in Naikhongchhari, located 20 kilometers from Cox’s Bazar. This area, originally inhabited by Buddhists and Bengali-speaking Muslims, is now under the control of former Pakistani Rangers and Bangladeshi Border Guards (BGB) who train Rohingya and local recruits. The distinct training provided to these ABT and Hizb cadres suggests their eventual deployment to India, specifically targeting the south-eastern borders near Tripura and Mizoram, they said.
Also, Hasina’s exit could empower groups like Hefazat-e-Islam and Jamaat-e-Islami, who advocate for an “Islamic state” and Sharia law in Bangladesh.
Adding to the concerns, Jashimuddin Rahmani, ABT chief, has adopted an openly hostile stance towards India, reflecting the ABT’s radical ideology. The ABT, an al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group, has long harboured ambitions of infiltrating Indian states like West Bengal, Assam, and the Northeast.
Intelligence sources emphasise that the training imparted to these Rohingyas is not intended for operations in Myanmar, but rather for a new agenda orchestrated by Pakistan and Bangladesh to push them into India.
A recent incident highlighting this threat involved a senior ABT Mufti illegally entering India in September 2024. The individual visited various Islamic institutions in Delhi, including the prominent Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh, raising significant concerns within India’s security apparatus.
