Shadow of Bangladesh Alongside Pakistan in Kashmir Attack: Intelligence Report

Staff Reporter | April 26, 2025

Recent intelligence reports suggest the involvement of both Pakistan and Bangladesh in the militant attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir.

An international militant network coordinated by Pakistan and Hamas is allegedly working to destabilize Kashmir, posing a severe challenge to India’s security apparatus.

Bangladeshi law advisor Asif Nazrul and Hefazat-e-Islam militant leader Mufti Harun Izhar reportedly met on April 21, the day before the attack. While the meeting was officially described as addressing the withdrawal of sabotage cases against militant leaders, Indian intelligence claims discussions included potential responses to Lashkar-e-Taiba’s actions.

Harun Izhar, a leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Bangladesh branch and a founding member of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), has a history of militancy. He was involved in a 2013 explosion at his madrasa during bomb-making activities that killed three individuals.

Indian intelligence views this meeting as evidence of growing ties between Bangladesh’s Islamist networks and Pakistan’s militant organizations, linking it to increased instability in the region.

Geopolitical analyst Sirajul Hossain remarked, “The perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack are the same network responsible for the July terror incidents in Bangladesh, both aimed at targeting India.”

Indian media outlet News18 reported that Pakistan’s ISI brought Hamas leaders to Bangladesh in October of last year. Hamas figures, including Sheikh Salem Quddusi and Sheikh Khaled Mashal, attended a reception hosted by Al Markazul Islami, an organization founded by Mufti Shahidul Islam, who is connected to Al-Qaeda.

Mufti Shahidul Islam, previously implicated in a 1999 mosque bombing in Khulna, later became a key figure in JMB.

The intelligence report indicates that the October visit of Hamas leaders was intended to facilitate destabilization efforts targeting India. Following their time in Bangladesh, these leaders visited Pakistan, receiving a hero’s welcome in Rawalpindi, where they met top militant figures such as Talha Saif, Masood Azhar, Asgar Khan Kashmiri, and Masood Ilyas.

These meetings reportedly strengthened cooperation among militant networks, with Hamas now providing training to militants in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Intelligence sources also connect this activity to the attacks in Israel last October.

The findings underscore the increasing threat posed by the alliance between Pakistan, Bangladesh, and international militant organizations aimed at undermining India’s stability.