Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed is reportedly attempting to expand his terror network through Bangladesh, using the country as a new operational hub to radicalise and train local youth for anti-India activities, according to revelations made by a senior Lashkar commander during a recent public gathering in Pakistan.
Speaking at a rally in Khairpur Tamewali, Pakistan, on October 30, Lashkar commander Saifullah Saif publicly declared that Saeed had dispatched his close associate, Allama Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer, to Bangladesh to propagate jihadist ideology and mobilise local support for Lashkar’s agenda. “Our people are active in East Pakistan (Bangladesh) and are ready to respond to India,” Saif proclaimed before a large crowd, which, according to video footage obtained by India Today, included several children.
In his speech, Saif glorified Zaheer’s visit to Bangladesh, framing it as part of a broader Lashkar strategy to rekindle Islamic militancy across the subcontinent. “Allama Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer went to Bangladesh. He spoke about Kashmir and Bengal (Bangladesh), which was snatched from us, where Indira Gandhi had said, ‘We have drowned the two-nation theory in the Bay of Bengal.’ Today, by the grace of Allah, that son of a lion, that orator, Allama Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer, is roaring like his father, like a lion, inside Bangladesh,” Saif declared to applause.
He further claimed that India was “worried and distressed” over Lashkar’s growing presence in Bangladesh. “They say, ‘Hafiz Saeed’s right-hand man has gone to Bangladesh. Now, from Bangladesh, they will come into India,” Saif boasted, signalling an apparent intent to open an eastern front against India.
The commander also referenced Operation Sindoor — India’s May 2025 counter-terror campaign in Jammu and Kashmir — portraying it falsely as a success for Pakistan and its terror proxies. “If you have learnt the lesson of jihad, when you entered the field on the night of May 10, Allah made you a superpower in the world. India was attacking you, America was with them, and all this was happening. Today, they have all sat down. Allah has established you in the world,” he said, in what intelligence analysts describe as classic militant propaganda to boost recruitment.
Sources in Indian security agencies confirmed that they are closely monitoring reports of LeT operatives’ movements in Bangladesh, particularly in Dhaka, Chittagong, and Sylhet, which have historically served as logistical corridors for cross-border infiltration. According to preliminary intelligence inputs, Lashkar’s renewed push into Bangladesh follows increasing difficulties operating in Pakistan due to international pressure and internal surveillance by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, remains one of India’s most wanted terrorists. Though officially serving a 78-year sentence in Pakistan for terror financing, Saeed is widely believed to continue directing operations from prison through intermediaries. Reports suggest that Pakistani intelligence agencies and sections of the military establishment still offer him protection and logistical support despite global sanctions under UN Security Council Resolution 1267.
Indian officials have repeatedly demanded Saeed’s extradition to India, along with other top LeT figures, but Islamabad has consistently refused, citing legal and political sensitivities. The latest revelation of Lashkar’s attempt to establish a terror base in Bangladesh has heightened concerns in New Delhi about the group’s strategy to exploit Bangladesh’s porous borders and rising Islamist networks.
Bangladesh’s own counter-terror agencies have intensified surveillance following reports of radicalisation efforts by foreign operatives. Officials in Dhaka said they are aware of “attempts by external elements to destabilise the region” and are working with intelligence partners to prevent any infiltration or cross-border conspiracy.
Security experts say the development reflects a strategic shift in LeT’s operational geography, as the group seeks to circumvent Pakistani scrutiny by embedding itself within regional Islamist ecosystems in Bangladesh and possibly Myanmar. If successful, this would not only broaden its recruitment base but also provide a fresh launching pad for attacks against India’s northeastern states.
For New Delhi, the emerging threat underscores the need for stronger intelligence cooperation with Dhaka, even as both countries face challenges from transnational terror movements seeking to exploit regional fault lines.
