India Furious Over Bangladesh Hosting Senior Officials from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence
In response to the Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) delegation’s visit to Dhaka, India stated that it is closely monitoring recent developments and "will take appropriate measures" if national security is at risk.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Relations between India and Bangladesh, already tense, have become increasingly “complicated” following reports of high-ranking officials from Pakistan’s intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), visiting Dhaka recently.
The delegation, led by Major General Shahid Amir Asfar, spent four days in Bangladesh.
This visit by Pakistan’s ISI officials follows a recent trip by Bangladesh’s top military officers to Pakistan, where they met with the chiefs of Pakistan’s three armed services branches.
The visits by Pakistan’s senior military and intelligence officials to Bangladesh have heightened concerns in India.
In response to the ISI delegation’s visit to Dhaka, India stated that it is closely monitoring recent developments and “will take appropriate measures” if national security is at risk.
“We continuously monitor all activities in and around the country, including those impacting national security, and the government will take appropriate steps,” said India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a weekly media briefing.
Bangladesh Army
India harbors strong distrust toward Pakistan’s ISI for several reasons, including historical conflicts, security concerns, and geopolitical tensions.
ISI has frequently been accused by India of supporting and financing militant groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), both linked to major attacks on Indian targets, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the 2019 Pulwama bombing.
Relations between India and Pakistan have remained strained since the 1947 partition, including several wars in 1947-48, 1965, and 1971.
ISI is often seen as the cornerstone of Pakistan’s strategic planning aimed at undermining India geopolitically and militarily.
India has also accused ISI of orchestrating intelligence operations to destabilize the country by supporting separatist movements in Punjab (the Khalistan movement), Northeast India, and other sabotage activities.
The geopolitical rivalry between India and Pakistan extends to influence across South Asia, with ISI regarded as Pakistan’s primary tool to counterbalance India through diplomacy, proxy warfare, and geopolitical strategy.
In a report published by Defence Security Asia last December, India reportedly threatened to shoot down Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones operated by the Bangladeshi military if they flew too close to the border.
Following the ouster of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh, now led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has grown increasingly close to Pakistan, raising alarm in New Delhi.
Indian media have reported that although Bangladesh-Pakistan relations have been tense for decades, the removal of Sheikh Hasina has led to improved ties between the two nations, driven by a shared anti-India sentiment.
Massive student-led protests in Bangladesh triggered the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government.
The former prime minister has since fled to India and now lives in exile.
The current Bangladeshi government, led by Muhammad Yunus, has repeatedly called for India to extradite Sheikh Hasina, several of her cabinet members, and former government officials to face charges, including murder.
However, New Delhi has ignored these requests, further straining relations between the two neighbors.
Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif with current head of Bangladesh’s interim government, Muhammad Yunus. India is reportedly uneasy about Bangladesh’s plans to procure 32 JF-17 “Thunder” fighter jets developed jointly by two of its “arch-enemies”, Pakistan and China.
In a report published by Defence Security Asia last December, India reportedly threatened to shoot down Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones operated by the Bangladeshi military if they flew too close to the border.
“We have the capability to track and neutralize any drone or object intruding into Indian airspace,” said an Indian official, responding to reports of Bangladeshi Bayraktar TB2 drones conducting Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions near the border.
The Bangladeshi Armed Forces have reportedly acquired 12 Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Bayraktar TB2 drones from Türkiye, six of which are already operational.
India is also reportedly uneasy about Bangladesh’s plans to procure 32 JF-17 “Thunder” fighter jets developed jointly by two of its “arch-enemies”, Pakistan and China.
Reports suggest that New Delhi will attempt to “block” Bangladesh’s acquisition of these fighter jets, which are produced by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG).
The JF-17 is actively used by the Pakistan Air Force (including its latest Block III variant) and has been exported to several other countries.