Spread of Radical Elements in Bangladesh: Challenges For India
After former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was overthrown in August, religious minorities, including Hindus, have faced increased attacks by radical groups.
SputnikThe rise of extremists propagated by radical outfits such as Jamaat-e-Islami (JI*) and others that call for the establishment of an Islamic state in Bangladesh, poses a serious security threat to India, experts have said.
Earlier this week, the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Dhaka confirmed that 88 cases of attacks on Hindus have been registered in the country since the downfall of Sheikh Hasina's government on August 5.
Interestingly, the admission came hours after the Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri flagged rising incidents of atrocities against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh
during his recent visit to the neighbouring nation on Monday.
However, the number of attacks on religious minorities, particularly Hindus, is significantly higher than the figure acknowledged by Bangladeshi authorities, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, an award-winning Bangladeshi journalist, the editor of Blitz publication and a counter-terrorism analyst, believes.
"The number of attacks on religious minorities, particularly Hindus, is significantly higher than the figure acknowledged by Bangladeshi authorities. It is worth noting that [earlier] Bangladesh have denied allegations of Hindu persecution, dismissing such incidents as mere 'political violence'. The admission of 88 cases is largely a result of mounting international pressure and the growing concerns of global media," Choudhury told Sputnik India.
Radical fanatics, pro-jihadists, and Caliphate-driven groups like Jamaat-e-Islami (JI*) along with Hizb ut-Tahrir*, Ansar al-Islam* (the local franchise of Al-Qaeda*), and others, are behind these acts of violence targeting Hindus and members of ISKCON, the expert said.
Alarmingly, such extremist actions by radical entities that are pushing Bangladesh towards becoming a Hindu-free Caliphate, are receiving both silent and overt support from some authorities, he underscored.
"Unfortunately, I do not expect any effective measures from President Joe Biden, his administration, or other Western leaders, as they are heavily influenced by George Soros and the so-called Deep State. These actors, along with Biden, Clintons and Soros, were key players behind the events of August 5 and subsequent developments."
He suggested that India, hi has the capacity to take urgent measures through multiple channels and strategies.
Since the creation of East Pakistan in 1947, groups like Jamaat-e-Islami and other radical outfits have served as proxies for West Pakistan, advancing anti-Hindu and anti-India agenda. Even after Bangladesh's liberation in 1971
with the critical support of India and the
Soviet Union, these sentiments were perpetuated and later intensified by extremists with championing a distinctly anti-India ideology, the global politics observer highlighted.
"The current developments in Bangladesh, particularly following the departure of Hasina, have created a volatile situation. The alliance between Bangladesh radical groups and Pakistani extremist elements has emboldened anti-India forces in the region, threatening India's regional security," Choudhury pointed out.
For India, the implications are severe, especially for its border states, the analyst said.
"The spread of radical Islam and the potential use of Bangladesh as a launchpad for
cross-border terrorism could lead to increased infiltration, arms smuggling, and destabilisation of states like West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Odisha, and the insurgency-hit Northeast," he cautioned.
These regions already face significant challenges related to ethnic insurgencies, demographic pressures from illegal immigration, and social unrest, which could be further
exacerbated by extremist activities, Choudhury emphasised.
In addition, the radicalisation of Bangladesh also risks creating a domino effect in the region, encouraging other fundamental groups in South Asia and beyond to amplify their activities, the international relations pundit assessed.
"To counter these threats, India needs to adopt a multi-pronged strategy by strengthening surveillance and border control mechanisms to prevent infiltration and arms smuggling, working closely with regional partners like Sri Lanka and Bhutan, to combat the spread of extremism, intensifying diplomatic efforts to isolate radical elements within Bangladesh," Choudhury explained.
He recommended promoting moderate forces to counter extremist narratives, considering economic sanctions or trade restrictions if Bangladesh becomes a hub for anti-India activities, and ensuring strong military preparedness in border regions.
The spread of radicalisation in Bangladesh poses grave challenges to India's security, especially to its border states of Assam, West Bengal, and Tripura which have been witnessing the influx of illegal immigrants from the neighbouring country for decades, former Indian Military Intelligence (MI) officer Major Nithi CJ echoed Choudhury's views.
"However, this attempt to bring about a demographic change in these Indian states will now get a renewed push with groups like of Jamaat-e-Islami and others flexing their muscles in Bangladesh," Nithi expressed.
For instance, the Karimganj district in the southern tip of Assam is full of illegal Bangladeshis, with the covert support of local politicians, she stated. But what should worry Indian authorities is that these migrants who have crossed over to India through illegitimate means now have Indian documents like Voter ID Cards to hoodwink law enforcement agencies there, the former officer remarked.
Furthermore, she stressed that distinguishing between Bangladeshi and Indian nationals is difficult, as they speak the same language and share similar physical traits. Additionally, a human trafficking network smuggles Bangladeshis into India for low-wage jobs such as cobblers, masons, and ragpickers. These migrants often form exclusive ghettos and gain access to Indian social welfare schemes through corrupt government officials, putting immense strain on the state exchequer, Nithi explained.
"Besides, even if it is established that a Bangladeshi immigrant is living illegally in India, the repatriation process moves at a snail's pace and it takes years to deport them to their parent country," she highlighted.
Citing a court-monitored National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise conducted in Assam and completed in 2019, Nithi concluded that over 700,000 illegal Bangladeshis still reside in the state and have yet to be repatriated.