Asim Munir, ISI and Bangladesh polls: Why Pakistan’s outreach is raising fears of a fractured mandate

Pakistan’s increased engagement with Bangladesh’s interim administration and opposition parties has raised concerns of external interference ahead of elections, with intelligence sources alleging covert ISI support to anti-Hasina groups and efforts to influence outcomes.

Did our AI summary help?

Pakistan’s growing engagement with Bangladesh’s interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus has triggered unease in diplomatic and security circles, amid fears of external interference ahead of the country’s next general elections, CNN-News18 has learnt from top diplomatic and intelligence sources.

According to sources, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh recently met Yunus to discuss issues related to political transition and future cooperation. While the meeting was officially presented as routine diplomatic outreach, it has drawn scrutiny because of the interim and non-elected nature of the Yunus-led setup.

Sources told CNN-News18 that Islamabad has been maintaining sustained contact not only with the interim administration but also with political forces opposed to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. These engagements, sources said, are being closely watched by diplomats and watchdog groups in Dhaka amid concerns that they go beyond standard diplomatic conduct.

Officials pointed out that interim governments are generally expected to refrain from extensive discussions with foreign missions on politically sensitive matters. “The Yunus administration does not have an electoral mandate, and such engagements raise serious questions,” a source said, adding that India is monitoring developments closely.

Intelligence inputs reviewed by CNN-News18 further allege that Pakistan is attempting to shape Bangladesh’s political environment by backing opposition parties ahead of the polls. These include Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Khaleda Zia, and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, headed by Shafiqur Rahman. Sources claim Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence, is suspected of providing covert financial support to these groups. Islamabad has not publicly responded to these allegations.

Sources also allege that Pakistan’s High Commission in Dhaka, along with a newly set up ISI-linked cell, is facilitating outreach to anti-India political actors, including factions within BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party. The stated aim, according to intelligence assessments cited by CNN-News18, is to influence electoral outcomes and weaken any single-party mandate.

“Pakistan appears keen on engineering a hung parliament or a weak coalition government in Bangladesh,” a senior source told CNN-News18, warning that such a scenario would open the door for increased external leverage.

Adding to the unease, sources said a high-level political and military delegation from Pakistan could visit Bangladesh in the coming weeks, a move that is expected to intensify scrutiny of both Islamabad’s intentions and the interim government’s handling of foreign engagement.