ISI Exploits Migration to Derail India-Bangladesh Ties Reset

Ties, which deteriorated under the interim government, improved significantly after Rahman's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won the elections. Officials said migration is a sensitive issue and would be handled maturely by the two countries.

The worry is that many ISI-backed elements are trying to exploit this and spread a false narrative. The ISI, which has several of its stooges in Bangladesh, has been instructed to drum up a narrative about migration and spread false news about it.

This is not only to create communal discord, but also to ruin bilateral ties between the two countries. The ISI, since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, has managed to expand its footprint across Bangladesh. It has managed to set up several networks aimed at working against the interests of India and Bangladesh, another official said.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that currently, Pakistan's ISI is operating covertly. It is trying to tap into ideologically driven groups in Bangladesh. The digital campaigns against India are being increased, and the primary focus would be on migration, the official added.

While this would be the first phase of the plan, the second would be to activate modules in the bordering states. Outfits such as the Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HuJI) and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) are all active currently. Most of their cadres have made several visits to Pakistan and have undergone training. They have managed to set up several of their modules in the areas that border India and Bangladesh.

Post the disinformation campaign that the ISI plans to run, the next step would be to get these modules to act. For India and Bangladesh, sharing good ties is of utmost importance. The relations are a pillar of stability in eastern South Asia. Relations between the two countries are also important as it helps reduce cross-border terror, battle insurgents, all of which are crucial to peace in the northeastern states.

Bangladesh watchers say that there will be repeated attempts to drum up false narratives by these ISI-backed groups. The Pakistanis have been attempting to make a strong imprint in Bangladesh, and for this to happen, derailing ties with India is something that they would try to do.

Experts say that the ISI's Bangladesh project is nothing new. It has been in place since the Liberation War. This time around, it wants to enhance its operational reach, and hence, there is a sudden surge in activity, the experts also point out.

Officials say the thaw in relations between the two countries has not gone down too well for the Pakistanis. Since the BNP came to power, both India and Bangladesh have been closely working on border management, consular service, and Joint River Commission meetings. Both countries are looking to sort out the problem of illegal immigration amicably.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Riaz Hamiduallah flew to Dhaka on Tuesday to consult with the political leadership on how to engage with the Indian government on this issue. The Intelligence agencies are keeping a close watch on the ISI-related activities that are taking place in Bangladesh. On the radar are the hardliners, some influencers who are pro-Pakistan, and also the two terror groups -- HuJI and JMB, which could prove detrimental to India's national security if not kept under check.

- IANS