Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed is reportedly planning to open a new front of terror against India through Bangladesh, sending one of his close associates to the country, according to a senior Lashkar commander who revealed the development during a public rally.
Sources said Saeed dispatched his aide to Bangladesh to incite local youth in the name of jihad and provide them with terror training.
Addressing a rally in Khairpur Tamewali, Pakistan, on October 30, Lashkar commander Saifullah Saif openly called for jihad against India, stating, “Our people are active in East Pakistan (Bangladesh) and are ready to respond to India.”
He added, “Allama Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer went to Bangladesh. He spoke of Kashmir, that Bengal (Bangladesh), which was snatched from us, which Indira Gandhi had said that ‘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 further claimed, “He is talking about Kashmir and Palestine. India is worried and distressed by this. They say, ‘Hafiz Saeed’s right-hand man has gone to Bangladesh. Now, from Bangladesh, they will come into India.’”
In a video of the speech obtained by India Today, Saif is seen urging people to wage war against India, with visuals showing even children among the audience. He also referred to Operation Sindoor, India’s counter-terror action following the Pahalgam terror attack, as a victory for the Pakistan Army.
“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, all this was happening. Today, they have all sat down. Allah has established you in the world,” he said.
Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer, a close associate of Hafiz Saeed and General Secretary of Pakistan Markazi Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadis, was recently spotted in Bangladesh. He reportedly arrived at Rajshahi on October 25 and has been touring several sensitive districts near the India-Bangladesh border.
While Bangladesh has not officially commented on Zaheer’s visit, his tour is seen as part of a broader plan by Pakistan-based radicals to use Bangladeshi territory as a “new base of operations” in South Asia.
After landing at Shah Makhdum Airport in Rajshahi, Zaheer was reportedly welcomed by Abdur Rahim bin Abdur Razzaq, a member of Al Jamia As-Salifa, an Islamic research institute linked to the Ahl-e-Hadith movement in Bangladesh.
He has since visited Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, and Rangpur and is expected to travel to Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Joypurhat, and Nagaon in the coming days. He is also scheduled to speak at a major Salafi conference in Rajshahi on November 6-7 before returning to Pakistan on November 8.
This marks Zaheer’s second visit since the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government assumed power in August 2024. His previous trip in February 2025 lasted over a week.
Zaheer’s visit coincides with that of Pakistan’s Joint Chief of Staff Committee Chairman General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, who arrived in Dhaka on the night of October 24 with a six-member delegation, including his wife Shazia Sahir, Brigadier Mohammad Rashid Khan, Commodore Khan Muhammad Asif, and two Majors.
Hafiz Saeed and his Lashkar-e-Taiba are considered masterminds behind several major terror attacks in India, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the 2001 Parliament attack.
Saeed, serving a 78-year prison term in Pakistan, is alleged to continue operating from behind bars with support from elements within Pakistan’s political and military establishment. New Delhi has repeatedly demanded Saeed’s extradition, along with other key terror operatives, to face trial in India.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
