In the ever-volatile South Asian geopolitical landscape, the toxic interplay of Pakistan’s shadow tactics, rising radicalism within Bangladesh, and reckless military rhetoric is emerging as a recipe for catastrophic conflict. Recent whispers in intelligence corridors and military analysis suggest a disturbing pattern: a dangerously overzealous former Bangladeshi Major General proposing incursions into India’s strategically sensitive ‘Seven Sisters’ region; Pakistan allegedly using Bangladesh as a proxy; and covert Bangladeshi facilitation of a corridor for the unrest-ridden Rakhine State of Myanmar—all converge toward a dystopian scenario that can destabilize the entire region.
Let us be unapologetically candid: Pakistan, a nation built on theocratic delusions and sustained through military control over a disenfranchised civilian population, has long given up on becoming a responsible actor in global affairs. The blood of millions of Bengalis—men, women, children—massacred and raped during the 1971 Bangladesh Genocide, still stains their hands. Their inability to come to terms with history, compounded by their economic collapse and internal fractures, has left them with only one operational export: instability.
The Proxy Game: Pakistan’s Hand in Bangladesh’s Radical Undercurrents
Since the defeat of 1971, Pakistan has harboured an undeclared grudge against both India and Bangladesh. Unable to reconcile with the reality of a sovereign Bangladesh, it has resorted to proxy operations—exporting radical ideologies, financing Islamic fundamentalist outfits, and embedding retired and serving intelligence operatives in the region. Bangladesh, with its rising Islamist factions and fragile democracy, has become fertile ground.
Recent developments suggest a sinister alignment: radicalised voices within Bangladesh’s military ex-fraternity are voicing aspirations of military adventurism. One retired Major General recently called for a military strike into India’s northeast—a region known for its historical sensitivities, insurgencies, and ethnic complexities. Such bombastic statements are not just reckless—they are suicidal. Any direct provocation or encroachment would invite swift and devastating retaliation from the Indian Armed Forces, one of the most professional, battle-tested militaries in the world.
Bangladesh’s Internal Crisis: Islamism Cloaked in Patriotism
Let us face the truth—Bangladesh, once a beacon of pluralism and linguistic nationalism, is now grappling with a growing Islamist surge. The rise of Hefazat-e-Islam, Jamaat-e-Islami sympathisers, and their infiltration into administrative and military ranks are no longer whispers—they are facts. This pseudo-Islamist takeover, couched in faux patriotism and anti-India sentiments, is being cheered quietly by Islamabad.
These groups do not merely oppose Indian policy—they oppose India’s very existence as a pluralist, secular democracy. They reject the sacrifices made by Bangladeshis in 1971 who fought alongside Indian soldiers to achieve independence. This ideological shift is not only a betrayal of the Liberation War’s legacy but a direct threat to the very foundations of Bangladesh’s sovereignty.
While maintaining cordial ties with New Delhi, the current government in Dhaka is under immense pressure from these rising Islamist factions. The military, long haunted by its Pakistan-trained old guard and ambitions of power, has, in parts, failed to fully align with the democratic spirit. If this imbalance continues, the result could be catastrophic.
The Myanmar Factor: A Corridor of Chaos
Amidst this geopolitical muddle comes another sinister twist—rumours of Bangladesh silently aiding a corridor to Myanmar’s Rakhine State. On the surface, this may appear as logistical or humanitarian aid. However, when analysed more deeply, the potential implications are chilling. Myanmar’s military junta is engaged in severe repression in Rakhine, and several insurgent groups are using the porous region for arms smuggling and operations.
If Bangladesh is covertly offering access—whether under Pakistani prompting or due to its Islamist pressure groups—it not only violates ASEAN stability but risks confrontation with India, which is deeply invested in maintaining peace in the Northeast. It also opens the floodgates for insurgent groups, some of whom have ideological sympathies with Islamic extremists.
India, which shares deep historical, emotional, and strategic ties with Bangladesh, cannot and should not overlook such developments. Its northeast is a crown jewel of diversity, resources, and indigenous identities. Any ideological, militant, or territorial intrusion will be met with necessary force, and rightly so.
Pakistan: The Forever Rogue State
Pakistan has neither the moral ground nor the military capacity to challenge India or influence Bangladesh. Economically bankrupt, with inflation sky-high and the IMF practically dictating their budget, the country barely manages to hold its fractured federation together. Balochistan bleeds, Sindh simmers, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa bristles under the weight of Taliban resurgence.
Yet, Islamabad’s military establishment, desperate for relevance, continues to script regional chaos. With nuclear weapons as their diplomatic blackmail chip and jihadi outfits as their unofficial foreign policy instruments, Pakistan continues to play with fire. Unfortunately, if Bangladesh allows itself to be a pawn in this game, Islamabad will not pay the price—it will be Dhaka.
A Warning for Bangladesh
Bangladesh stands at a precipice. The ghosts of 1971 still loom large, and to allow Pakistan any foothold—ideological, military, or logistical—is not only immoral but suicidal. India has been a trusted partner, sheltering refugees during the war, aiding in independence, and offering trade, water-sharing, connectivity, and cultural cooperation. This relationship must not be sacrificed at the altar of a few radical generals or deluded clerics.
The Bangladeshi youth, intelligentsia, and progressive forces must rise. They must choose the path of sovereignty, democracy, and friendship, not jihad, militarism, and Pakistani conspiracy. To attack India is to attack one’s roots. To provoke India in the northeast is like lighting a fire in one’s home.
No rational Bangladeshi wants war. But it is time the government in Dhaka takes bold, unequivocal steps: disown radical elements in uniform, crush jihadi networks, reaffirm secular nationalism, and call out Pakistan for its genocidal past and current manipulations. Only then can Bangladesh avoid becoming collateral damage in a larger regional game.
Conclusion: Choose Peace or Perish
The time for ambiguity is over. The region is sitting on a powder keg. Any foolish military misadventure, incited by Pakistan or its ideological cousins in Bangladesh, could end in regional war. In such a scenario, Bangladesh—shaky, internally divided, and economically fragile—will be the first to crumble.
India, for all its patience and maturity, will not tolerate provocation. Nor should it. The people of Bangladesh must decide: Will they side with the ghosts of West Pakistani oppression or with the memory of Mukti Bahini and the Indian allies who gave them their freedom?
This is not just a strategic question. It is a moral one.
