The Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh is working to extend its reach by promoting the establishment of various organizations to lead anti-India demonstrations nationwide. Despite aiming to disrupt India-Bangladesh relations, the Jamaat prefers not to directly engage in anti-India protests to maintain a facade of being a responsible opposition party in Bangladesh.
In the recent Bangladesh general elections, the Jamaat secured 68 seats, becoming the second-largest party after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Tarique Rahman. This coalition, led by the Jamaat, holds a total of 77 seats in the parliament.
Under Rahman’s leadership, India-Bangladesh relations have notably improved, with both countries engaging in consistent dialogue despite unresolved issues. Recognizing the significance of strong ties with India, Rahman ensures that diplomatic channels between the two nations remain active and open.
The Jamaat, believed to have close ties with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), is actively working to undermine the recent positive developments in India-Bangladesh relations. Instead of direct involvement, the Jamaat is allegedly using smaller affiliated groups and front organizations to advance its agenda discreetly.
India and Bangladesh are currently in talks on critical matters like border security, trade relations, and migration. Amid these discussions, proxy groups reportedly linked to the Jamaat are emerging to strain bilateral ties, supported by allied groups capable of furthering the Jamaat’s objectives without direct intervention.
On June 19, the Bangladesh Azad Party (BAP), a new organization, staged a protest in Dhaka against India’s deportation of illegal immigrants to Bangladesh. Despite India’s legal actions on illegal immigration, groups like the Jamaat are politicizing the issue and encouraging the formation of new organizations to conduct anti-India activities.
Officials reveal that while the BAP presents itself as an independent political party, its members are predominantly associated with the Jamaat. This suggests a deliberate effort to lead anti-India protests while providing the Jamaat with plausible deniability to avoid direct accusations of undermining India-Bangladesh relations.
An Intelligence Bureau official emphasizes that the core issue is not India’s immigration efforts but rather portraying it as a human rights concern to tarnish India’s image. The Jamaat, acting on behalf of the ISI, aims to depict India negatively on the global stage by framing the situation as a humanitarian crisis.
