Just moments after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a top leader of the Bangladesh student uprising, ISI-backed social media handles became active to spread fake propaganda, which eventually led to the violence in the country. Indian agencies found that many ISI backed handles were active in large numbers, spreading fake information which clearly had a strong anti-India fervour.
The primary aim of the ISI was to ensure that Bangladesh descends into chaos, and this is similar to the pattern one saw during the students’ uprising that led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, officials say.
The ISI had all this pre-planned and had even instructed the Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, the Islamic Chhatra Shibir (ICS), not to lead the agitation. As per the plan, the ISI would spread the propaganda and fake narrative through its social media handles based in Pakistan.
The Jamaat and its affiliates were told only to fuel the violence by using this propaganda. The ISI’s thinking was that even if there were to be an election in February, it did not want the Jamaat to be seen as the party which led the agitation.
In the build-up to such a large agitation that was so close to the elections, there was a lot of planning that had taken place. The ISI activated all the radical groups it controls in Bangladesh.
These are the persons who were at the front while the Jamaat and its students’ wing stood behind and controlled the violence that was taking place.
While the ISI planned the entire unrest, it was Pakistan’s digital network which did the majority of the work. The digital infrastructure also included some media houses funded by Pakistan, which wrote propaganda articles, many of which were anti-India. Most of the articles that were written portrayed India as the protector of Sheikh Hasina.
The Awami League leader, who was ousted last August, has taken shelter in India since she fled the country. This has been a long game by Pakistan, which has been looking to make Bangladesh its playground.
With such violence and dishing out of anti-India sentiments, the country remains on the boil, and this, in turn, creates pressure on India’s eastern front. While the entire chaos has been planned and created by the ISI, it has also ensured that there is a growing anti-India sentiment.
As not all in Bangladesh share the same viewpoint, the ISI is targeting these people in particular as it wants to create an environment in Bangladesh that is similar to what is happening in Pakistan.
Further, such operations in Bangladesh help Pakistan carry out low-cost operations.
It has been using the Jamaat and its affiliates to incite the people from behind the scenes. Once the people become agitated, the crowds take over and indulge in widespread violence.
Experts say that this is a dangerous game that elements within Bangladesh are playing. In the long run, the country which was once touted as a promising economy would eventually end up like Pakistan.
Experts also warn that there is a clear attempt to try and ensure that the elections never take place. If the elections are put off or cancelled, then the next plot by the ISI would create an ecosystem of separatists, similar to what one witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir.
If it is able to do this, then the situation in Bangladesh would turn worse than what it already is. In the meantime, the radical Islamists would achieve what they have been striving for, and that is an Islamic state, an official said.
