In a concerning development flagged by intelligence agencies, senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Saifullah Khalid—accused of masterminding the April Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir—has publicly announced plans to create a new jihadist front in Bangladesh. Speaking at a rally in Punjab, Pakistan, Khalid made inflammatory remarks targeting Hindus and India while framing Bangladesh as fertile ground for jihad due to alleged Muslim oppression.
Khalid’s appearance and rhetoric at the Milli Muslim League rally have raised red flags in both Indian and Bangladeshi security circles. He not only glorified the terrorists killed during India’s recent Operation Sindoor but also explicitly encouraged radical action in Bangladesh. According to intelligence inputs, Khalid is leveraging LeT’s robust, ISI-backed infrastructure to expand influence into Bangladesh through local Islamist groups like Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).
Strategic Use of Ideology and Infrastructure
Sources say Khalid aims to exploit existing political tensions and socioeconomic frustrations among Bangladeshi youth to recruit fighters and radical supporters. He reportedly plans to establish a “charity hospital” in Allahabad, Kasur (Pakistan), as a front for jihadist recruitment. This facility is expected to act as a base for attracting and radicalising youth from Bangladesh under the guise of humanitarian work.
LeT’s collaboration with JMB is already operational, with evidence of coordinated activities including pro-Hamas rallies in Dhaka. Arrests of JMB handlers in Pakistan have further exposed an extensive support system involving financial backing, logistics, and weapons training. Khalid’s public backing of JMB highlights a dangerous nexus aimed at destabilising the region.
Anti-India, Anti-Hindu Rhetoric in Rally Speech
In his address, Khalid repeatedly referred to India as an enemy of Islam and accused the Modi government of persecuting Muslims. He declared those killed during Operation Sindoor as “martyrs” and vowed revenge. “We are not scared of bullets. We live for martyrdom,” he said, acknowledging media reports naming him as the architect of the Pahalgam massacre, in which 26 non-Muslim tourists were killed after being asked about their religion.
Khalid, currently LeT’s deputy chief and closely associated with its founder Hafiz Saeed, reportedly moved to Kanganpur in Pakistan weeks before the Pahalgam attack. Intelligence officials believe his rally and ongoing plans signal a broader campaign to transform Bangladesh into a new battleground in the LeT’s jihadist agenda.
