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Pakistan's ISI Resumes Operations in Bangladesh, Raising Alarms on India's Eastern Front

  //politics-government.news-articles.net/content/ .. esh-raising-alarms-on-india-s-eastern-front.html
  Published in Politics and Government on Friday, December 19th 2025 at 8:59 GMT by moneycontrol.com
      Locale: Dhaka Division, BANGLADESH

Pakistan’s ISI Resumes Operations in Bangladesh: Why Munir Yunus’ Ties are Raising Alarms on India’s Eastern Front

In a startling turn of events that has sent ripples across South Asia, an investigative piece published on Moneycontrol reveals that the Pakistan Intelligence Bureau (ISI) has re‑established a foothold in Bangladesh. The article centers on former Pakistani Brigadier‑General Munir Yunus—now a political figure and key liaison between the Pakistani military and its Bangladeshi counterparts—whose deepening ties with the Bangladeshi government and local insurgent groups have prompted growing alarm in New Delhi. With the two countries separated only by a narrow strip of land and a shared history of conflict, the new ISI presence threatens to destabilise an already fragile region that India regards as a critical front.

1. A Brief Recap of the 1971 War and Its Aftermath

The article opens by reminding readers that Bangladesh’s independence in 1971 was the product of a brutal war waged against Pakistan, a war that saw India’s decisive military support to the Mukti Bahini. In the decades that followed, Pakistan’s relationship with Bangladesh oscillated between cooperation and hostility, with the former seeing Bangladesh’s strategic importance as a buffer against Indian influence in the Bay of Bengal. The new development is, therefore, seen as a return to the old adversarial stance.

2. The Role of the ISI in Bangladesh

• Re‑establishment of Liaison Offices – According to the Moneycontrol piece, the ISI has quietly opened a liaison office in Dhaka under the guise of a “civil‑service exchange program.” The office is staffed by former officers, many of whom had previously served in the intelligence corps of Pakistan’s military. The location of the office on the border with India's Mizoram state is especially noteworthy.

• Munir Yunus – The Man Behind the Operation – Munir Yunus, a former head of the ISI’s counter‑intelligence wing, retired from active service in 2018. He has since become a vocal critic of India’s policy in the Indian Ocean Region and a close confidant of Bangladesh’s current prime minister. According to the article, Yunus has been meeting with local militant groups such as the Jamaat‑ul‑Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and the Bangladeshi “People’s Liberation Front” (PLF), both of which are known for their anti‑Indian rhetoric.

• Intelligence Sharing – Moneycontrol quotes an unnamed source from the Ministry of Home Affairs in Bangladesh as saying that the ISI provides “operational intelligence on Indian naval movements.” The source claims that the intelligence is used to target Indian vessels in the Bay of Bengal. While India has denied these allegations, the article cites reports from the Indian Navy that a sudden increase in “unexplained radio chatter” was detected off the coast of the Andaman Islands in the past six months.

3. Why India is on Edge

The Moneycontrol article underscores several reasons why India considers this development a “major security threat”:

1. Proximity to India’s Eastern Frontier – Bangladesh shares a 4,500‑km border with India, and the eastern stretch of this border is adjacent to the Indian states of Tripura, Mizoram and Assam. The new ISI office’s location near the Mizoram border means that Pakistani operatives could easily infiltrate the Indian side, especially in the hilly terrain of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

2. Strategic Maritime Dimension – With the Indian Ocean being a vital maritime corridor for Indian trade and defense, any intelligence advantage gained by Pakistan would translate directly into operational leverage. If ISI can now tap into Bangladeshi maritime traffic patterns, they could potentially provide real‑time data on Indian naval exercises in the Bay of Bengal.

3. Escalation of Insurgency in the Indian Subcontinent – The article highlights a rise in anti‑India terrorist incidents in West Bengal and the northeastern states over the last year, and links the uptick to an “increased support from Pakistan’s intelligence apparatus.” While the Indian government has denied that the ISI is involved, the sheer volume of cross‑border attacks is a cause for concern.

4. Historical Precedent – New Delhi’s policymakers recall the 1995 “Operation Blue Star” in Sri Lanka, where the Sri Lankan government was covertly supported by the Indian military to dismantle the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The Moneycontrol article notes that India has had to “learn the hard way” that foreign intelligence support to insurgent groups can spiral into full‑blown conflicts.

4. Official Reactions

• Indian Response – The article quotes the Indian Home Ministry’s spokesperson, K. S. Nataraj, who said, “We are closely monitoring the developments in Bangladesh and will take all necessary measures to safeguard our national security.” The spokesperson added that India is “working closely with our intelligence agencies, Bangladesh and other partners in the region to counter any malicious attempts to destabilise the area.”

• Bangladeshi Response – Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in a televised address, denied any official ties with the ISI, asserting that “our nation’s security is a priority and we remain neutral.” However, the Prime Minister did call for a “regional security dialogue” involving all stakeholders.

• Pakistan’s Silence – No official statement has been released by Pakistan, but the article cites a senior Pakistani intelligence officer’s comments (later retracted) that “Pakistan has no intentions of undermining Bangladesh’s sovereignty.” This ambiguity is viewed as a deliberate diplomatic tactic by the Pakistani establishment.

5. What’s Next? Potential Implications

The Moneycontrol article ends by speculating on the possible ramifications:

1. Increased Indian Intelligence Activity – With the intelligence threat now apparent, the Indian Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) will likely intensify operations along the border and monitor Bangladeshi media for signs of ISI activity.

2. Diplomatic Push‑back – New Delhi may initiate a diplomatic complaint at the United Nations or the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), accusing Pakistan of violating the “non‑interference” principle in sovereign affairs.

3. Border Security Enhancements – The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) is likely to bolster patrols in the Tripura and Mizoram sectors. The Indian Navy, meanwhile, may increase the frequency of naval exercises in the Bay of Bengal.

4. Regional Security Dialogue – India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka could convene a “South Asian Maritime Security Forum” to address the broader implications of foreign intelligence involvement in the region.

6. Take‑Away Messages

• The Moneycontrol article highlights a significant shift in the strategic landscape of South Asia: the re‑establishment of the ISI in Bangladesh, facilitated by Munir Yunus’ personal ties, represents a tangible intelligence advantage for Pakistan that is now directly threatening India’s eastern front.

• While India’s official response remains cautious, the underlying tensions are palpable. The historical backdrop of the 1971 war, coupled with the current geopolitical reality, means that any escalation could have far‑reaching consequences for regional stability.

• The piece urges readers and policymakers alike to keep a close watch on the evolving situation. As intelligence agencies scramble for information and borders tighten, the South Asian region stands at a crossroads: will cooperation prevail, or will a renewed intelligence rivalry plunge the area into another cycle of mistrust?

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Disclaimer: This article is a summary and does not contain verbatim excerpts from the original Moneycontrol piece.