Pakistan Taliban finds foothold in Bangladesh? Arrests spark concern in India amid Dhaka's growing Islamabad ties

Pakistan Taliban finds foothold in Bangladesh? (Image: AFP)

Two men suspected of links to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were arrested by Bangladesh’s counter-terrorism agencies. They are believed to be involved in separate terror operations this month, raising concerns in India about the Pakistan-based group’s growing influence in Bangladesh.

The Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) arrested Md Foysal, 33, from his shop in Savar on July 2, following intelligence reports linking him to the TTP. He was sent to jail, and on July 5, a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act was filed against him and five others.

Foysal reportedly admitted in his confession to the police that he was “inspired by the ideology of TTP” and had traveled to Afghanistan via Pakistan in October 2024 alongside Ahmed Jubair, a 23-year-old from Savar, who was later killed in a Pakistan army operation in Waziristan.

Foysal also claimed that key accused Engineer Imran Haider had played a central role in “recruiting and motivating Bangladeshi youths for the TTP."

According to the case details, Foysal and the other accused, including Rezaul Karim Abrar, Asif Adnan, Zakaria Masud, and Md Sanaf Hasan, were allegedly “spreading TTP ideology online and preparing for jihad".

The phrase “preparing for jihad” appeared explicitly in the charge sheet obtained by the Dhaka Tribune, indicating that the group was not only distributing radical content but also actively promoting recruitment and militant training.

In a separate operation on July 14, Shamin Mahfuz, 48, a former leader of the banned groups JMB and Jama’atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, was arrested in Bangladesh’s Narayanganj by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and handed over to the ATU. Although Shamin was not named in Foysal’s case, his alleged links to the TTP surfaced during interrogation.

After Sheikh Hasina resigned as Prime Minister of Bangladesh and sought asylum in India, Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus, with the support of the army, formed an interim government on August 8, 2024.

Hasina stepped down on August 5, 2024, after serving for 15 years, following weeks of deadly protests that started as peaceful demonstrations against government job quotas but escalated into a nationwide movement demanding her resignation.

While India and Bangladesh shared a deep-rooted bilateral relationship under Hasina, the ties went to an all-time low following report of violence against minority Hindus in Bangladesh during last year’s protests.

Yunus’ approach, on the other hand, in which he has been trying to attract investments and infrastructural development from China and resetting ties with Pakistan rang alarm bells in New Delhi.

Now, the arrest of suspected terrorists linked to TTP could be seen as a diversion tactic amid Dhaka's shift towards Islamabad.

Formed in 2007, the TTP is a coalition of terrorist groups operating along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and remains designated as a terror entity by the UN. Bangladesh’s ATU, launched in 2017, leads the country’s anti-terror operations.

Dhaka has also started importing 50,000 tonnes of rice from Pakistan. Direct flights and military contacts have been revived, visa procedures have been simplified, and there are reports of cooperation on security matters.

Both countries apparently held foreign secretary-level talks for the first time in 15 years in April 2025, during which Bangladesh urged Pakistan to issue a formal apology for the genocide committed by its armed forces during the 1971 Liberation War.

Along with this, Bangladesh raised demands for its fair share of undivided Pakistan’s wealth - estimated at $4.3 billion - and the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis.

These demands were made during foreign office consultations held in Dhaka, led by Bangladesh foreign secretary Md Jashim Uddin and his Pakistani counterpart Amna Baloch.

This marks a significant shift following Hasina’s 15-year tenure, during which she was reportedly strongly supported by Delhi and kept a cautious distance from Pakistan.