VOI World/ Astha Pandey
Recent intelligence inputs have set off alarms within India’s security establishment, suggesting that Pakistan-based terrorist mastermind Hafiz Saeed is attempting to revive the cross-border terror networks. These reports also warn that the vicious mastermind Hafiz Saeed, the founder and chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the key figure behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, is reviving his terror network by exploiting Bangladesh’s territory as a launchpad for fresh strikes on India.
According to the sources, Saeed is leveraging radical elements in Bangladesh to create new infi ltration routes and sleeper cells targeting India’s eastern borders. The reports indicate recent meetings between LeT operatives and regional extremist groups, with a focus on recruiting youth and smuggling arms through porous border points in West Bengal and Assam.
This marks a strategic shift. Traditionally, Pakistan’s terror operations targeting India have been concentrated around Jammu & Kashmir. By turning toward Bangladesh, Saeed appears to be testing India’s counter-terror vigilance in the East an area often seen as relatively less militarized compared to the LoC.
Offi cials have emphasized that Saeed’s alleged eastward pivot reveals how terror networks evolve faster than the geopolitical strategies designed to contain them. After years of diplomatic and military operations post-Uri and Pulwama. However, the direct infiltration from across the LoC has grown riskier. Using Bangladesh offers geographical anonymity and political distance, giving militant groups a new base for planning and funding.
However, the increased surveillance along the Indo-Bangladesh border, coordinated efforts with Dhaka’s counter-terrorism units and intelligence sharing under existing security frameworks. Bangladesh, for its part, has repeatedly denied allowing its soil to be used for terror activities but Indian agencies believe the threat is real and evolving, especially with Saeed’s network reportedly regrouping under humanitarian or NGO covers.
This development could add a new dimension to regional security dynamics, underscoring how terror groups are adapting routes and rhetoric in response to global pressure on Pakistan.
