Beyond Headlines : Great Optics ::: Big Message of Hasina's presser - She wants to Go Home ... preferably December ::: But 'Bigger' missive is in what her son Joy said - "Bangladesh is new Pakistan"

 

During UPA dispensation, the then PM Dr Manmohan Singh had said, “.... at least 25 percent of the population of Bangladesh swears by the Jamiat-ul-Islami and they are very anti-Indian".  On Aug 5, 2026, the Big Picture message of Sheikh Hasina's virtual presser is ::: is what her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy said - "Bangladesh is new Pakistan". 

There maybe a temptation, when something fails and we conclude that the effort, or the movement and its basic principles have failed. 

Such temptation may prove to be correct or wrong !! 

And it is an old problem nevertheless. 

Protest against Terror : 2016 - A Different era under Hasina 

The outburst was not without good reasons.   

The transformation in Bangladesh's "inherent character" came around August 2024 when Sheikh Hasina was ousted. 

Since then Dhaka under Yunus (in administration) and with Jamait and NCP as political players have 'displayed' all characteristics of a terror-loving nation, like India's western border Pakistan. 

There have been rhetoric about Greater Bangla, Yunus himself wanted to cut off North East of India and it has been hostile and often unnecessarily wanted to 'challenge' India’s territorial integrity. Like Pakistan often mess around; protagonists in Bangladesh tried to project Bangladesh as the guardian of the Bay of Bengal.  

In terms of election issues; the Jamait and newly floated (pro-Yunus), NCP always flagged off Hasina taking shelter in India. Of course, in Bangladesh too; the anti-India electoral politics was not a new phenomenon, but it meant a lot in February 2026 polls.

The Awami League was kept away from the polls and the election campaign often dwelt around Modi-Hasina bonds and of course on the alleged misdeeds of the Hasina regime.  

Friendship touched a new height 

India’s Assistant High Commission in Chittagong in the aftermath of Hadi’s killing, faced demonstration. The Indian Cultural Centre in Dhaka was attacked by mob and a group of Jamait supporters marched to the Indian High Commission as well. 

In Delhi, the 'other' game was at play as there was a protest in front of the Bangladesh High Commission against the lynching of a Hindu garment factory worker Dipu Chandra Das

The most serious 'red flag' was the reported creation of a dedicated ISI Special Cell operating from within the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka. (reported by CNN-News18 in October 2025). Military exchanges followed. 

Bangladesh’s Quartermaster General visited Rawalpindi in August 2025, while Pakistan’s Lt Gen Tabassum Habib received a red carpet welcome in Dhaka in October. 

It was also warned that the ISI’s “core mission” in Bangladesh went beyond regular diplomacy or trade. The focus was radicalisation of youths and expansion of Jamaat-e-Islami and the Inqilab Manch.  

On Nov 19, 2025, during the Colombo Security Conclave Summit in New Delhi, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval reportedly flagged the presence of the 'ISI Cell' in Dhaka to his Bangladeshi counterpart, Dr Khalil ur Rehman. 

Incidentally, Dr Khalil is now the foreign minister in the BNP Govt. 

Mourning of 2016 

(affluent background of terrorists of July 1, 2016, has been a big talking point in Bangladesh)

Youth radicalisation in Bangladesh is driven by a mix of high unemployment, social media propaganda, and identity crises. 

A number of high-profile incidents have shown that digitally connected urban students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds are equally vulnerable to extremist recruitment.  In fact, there have been reports with Indian agencies that a large number of Muslims in Bangladesh have pledged support to “the Khilāfah”.

These should not be “overlooked” keeping in mind that there had always been a section of Islamic extremists in Bangladesh. 

This implies there is a grave security threat at hand in India and northeastern states. Porous borders and a very  complex socio-political background Tripura, Assam and West Bengal might therefore turn out “most vulnerable hubs” for nefarious activities. 

Even in West Bengal, under Mamata, there were reports to suggest, that the terror elements could draw out plans to carry out attacka.

There were also inputs cautioning that Hindu temple priests of Birbhum and Mushidabad could be targeted on the pattern some Buddhist monks and Hindu priests were attacked in Bangladesh.

India need not panic but it should be worried. 

More important agenda before Indian security agencies should be how India and other South East Asian countries can work together to stem the rot in the system. 

So far Pakistan and beyond - Afghanistan- was hit by such Islamic agenda.



But now it has come to the neighbourhood.

ends 

 and brings into focus Hasina’s presence in India

ZZZZZZ

Bangladesh, since the takeover by the interim regime in August 2024, has displayed all the traits of the Pakistani state: hostile, rhetorical and challenging India’s territorial integrity. Both elements within the government, as well as outside, have resorted to irredentism—greater Bangla, claiming North East, or projecting Bangladesh as guardian of the Bay of Bengal, threatening to cut off the Siliguri corridor. In 2011, Manmohan Singh had said, “We must reckon that at least 25 percent of the population of Bangladesh swears by the Jamiat-ul-Islami (sic) and they are very anti-Indian and they are in the clutches, many times, of the ISI.” Though this remark drew criticism in Bangladesh, what is happening in Bangladesh now reflects what Singh had flagged more than a decade back. Though there was a meeting between Jamaat and Indian officials, there is a strong belief that Jamaat is fuelling anti-Indianism. Even now there is a debate on the Islamic moncho, which Hadi was leading as a front of the JeI. Anti-India electoral politics is not new, but it has acquired a new dimension as the Awami League remains banned and the politics continues to revolve around the misdeeds of their regime and brings into focus Hasina’s presence in India and India’s support for the AL.