India (Commonwealth Union)_ Once a trusted partner in the region, Bangladesh appears to be drifting into unsettling territory, and New Delhi is watching closely. Recent developments along the India-Bangladesh border have raised fresh security concerns for India. The visit of Pakistan‘s senior military officer, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, to Dhaka has raised suspicions, especially as it coincides with the increasing prominence of Ibtisham Ilahi Zaheer, a close aide to Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed, who is apparently operating near the border. Adding to the discomfort, reports imply that the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus is also planning a red carpet reception for controversial preacher Zakir Naik. These actions represent a significant departure from the policies of Sheikh Hasina’s administration, which maintained robust counterterrorism collaboration with India. Analysts also warn that the growing closeness between Dhaka and Islamabad, coupled with the re-emergence of extreme personalities, may signify a dangerous realignment, one that places India’s borders at new risk.
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A fresh terror alliance is forming in Bangladesh
This investigation uncovers the growing links between Pakistan’s ISI, radical Islamist groups like LeT, and fugitive preacher Zakir Naik in Bangladesh. It highlights Pakistani generals’ strategic travels to Bangladesh, particularly in the sensitive Siliguri Corridor, as well as the strengthening of ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh’s military. According to one researcher, Zakir Naik poses a risk because of his poisonous nature and his presence in Bangladesh. They say, “It is a witches’ brew.” The report also looks at the consequences of the approaching Bangladesh elections, the emergence of Jamaat-e-Islami, and the possible threat to India’s eastern border. India is being urged to ramp up intelligence assets and prepare for an “appropriate response” to any cross-border terrorism.
Pakistan’s General Sahir Shamshad Mirza’s visit
In a major development, reports confirm that Islamabad has established a special ISI cell inside its High Commission in Dhaka. This move coincided with the visit of General Sahir Shamshad Mirza to Bangladesh, where he met interim head Muhammad Yunus alongside the top army, navy, and air chiefs of Bangladesh. The delegation, which also included senior ISI officers, held multiple rounds with Bangladesh’s National Security Intelligence and Directorate General of Forces Intelligence. While the two countries publicly spoke of increasing cooperation across sectors, one moment triggered a diplomatic flare-up.
General Mirza was presented with a book titled Art of Triumph: Bangladesh’s New Dawn, featuring a distorted map of northeast India that labelled Assam and other Indian states as Bangladeshi territory. This graphic alone illustrates the shifting mindset in Dhaka. From India’s standpoint, this visit is not just symbolic. It signals a potential strategic alignment between Islamabad and Dhaka that could alter the security dynamic along India’s eastern perimeter. The possibility of Pakistan influencing an immediate neighbour, and one that shares over 4,000 km of border with India, cannot be ignored.
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LeT founder Hafiz Saeed’s close associate Ibtisham Ilahi Zaheer’s visit
At the same time, Ibtisham Ilahi Zaheer, a known associate of the LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, has been active in Bangladesh and edging dangerously close to India’s frontier. Zaheer arrived in Dhaka on October 25 and has toured border districts such as Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj, with a schedule to extend to Rangpur. This is his second visit since the interim administration took office in August 2024, following Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. Previously, he spent more than a week in Bangladesh in February 2025. His schedule, which crosses sensitive border areas and includes a high-profile Salafi conference, raises severe concerns.
Zaheer’s presence reflects a deeper Pakistan–Bangladesh axis aimed at destabilizing India’s northeast by bolstering hard-line Islamist networks. Given his 24-year ties with Hafiz Saeed and others linked to LeT’s core leadership, his activities are not random trips but likely part of a calculated strategy. India must view this as a potential opening for recruitment, propaganda, and infiltration aimed at border communities, which are already vulnerable. The combination of geography, porous frontiers, and newly permissive political leadership in Dhaka creates conditions that India cannot afford to ignore.
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Controversial preacher Zakir Naik’s Bangladesh visit
In parallel, controversial preacher Zakir Naik has reportedly been approved by Bangladesh’s government to stay for a month and deliver sermons across the country. Naik, previously banned by Sheikh Hasina’s regime after one of the 2016 Dhaka terror attackers cited his speeches, is now being welcomed by the interim government under Yunus. His visit (scheduled for November 28 to December 20) would mark his first trip to Bangladesh and comes just after his red-carpet-style visit to Pakistan. Naik is known for his radical, anti-India stance, and his connections to terror-affiliated networks are widely documented.
In India, he is wanted in multiple cases for making hate remarks and instigating communal strife. His presence in Bangladesh, which has direct border linkages with India, increases the risk of ideological export and cross-border radical influence. Bangladesh’s willingness to welcome such a figure under its current government marks a significant reversal from its previous attitude, raising concerns about Dhaka’s geopolitical orientation. For India, Naik’s entry means more than just symbolism: it represents a potential conduit for extremist doctrine aimed at Indian border regions.
How dangerous is this alliance for India?
Putting all of this together, the developing alliance between Pakistan, Bangladesh, and extreme Islamist figures is more than just a geopolitical curiosity; it poses a significant security danger to India. The main areas of concern:
- Border vulnerability: India and Bangladesh share a long and complex border, much of which crosses harsh terrain and rivers. With Bangladesh relaxing visa requirements for Pakistan and potentially allowing for a stronger ISI presence, the possibility of infiltration and covert activities increases.
- Northeast connection threat: The Siliguri Corridor, a small corridor connecting India’s northeast to the mainland, becomes a strategic concern. With Bangladesh and Pakistan expanding their military ties, India may face a two-front conflict in the east and west.
- Ideological infiltration: When personalities like Zaheer and Naik freely travel across Bangladesh preaching, networking, and organizing, it sends a clear message that extremist ideology can easily traverse boundaries. Indian border districts are already susceptible to similar impacts.
- Operational cooperation: Military engagement between Bangladesh and Pakistan, through exchanges, training, and joint naval exercises, means more than formal ties. It signals the potential for logistics, intelligence sharing, and even staging grounds for mischief.
- Clear message of intent: The map gifting incident, the renewed ties between Islamabad and Dhaka, and the open presence of extremist elements collectively point to intent, not just opportunity. Intent matters when it comes to national security.
These events necessitate a rethinking of threats in the context of India’s national security structure. The border forces must be on high alert. Intelligence agencies must monitor not only cross-border movement but also the ideologies that travel through. Diplomatic relations with Bangladesh must be adjusted to reflect changing conditions in Dhaka. Strategic infrastructure, especially in the Northeast, needs to be upgraded immediately. India’s neighbourhood policy is based on trust, cooperation, and regional security sharing. However, when a close neighbor shifts alignment, the waves are noticeable. Moreover, this new alliance, which includes Pakistan’s military-intelligence complex, Bangladesh’s political receptivity to radical actors, and regional extremist networks, is a serious concern for India’s national security.
