ISI’s Major Plot: LeT–JeM Send Explosives Experts to Bangladesh to Plan Strike on India

New Delhi — Indian intelligence agencies have intercepted credible information indicating that a group of terrorists from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is preparing to infiltrate Bangladesh following directives from the leadership of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). According to an Intelligence Bureau official, the group comprises explosives specialists who are expected to train Bangladesh-based operatives for a potential major attack targeting India.

This development follows recent intelligence inputs suggesting that both Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and LeT are attempting to reactivate their sleeper cells in West Bengal and the northeastern states. Officials believe that the deployment of explosives experts to Bangladesh indicates preparations for a large-scale terror operation. Border security agencies have been placed on high alert amid concerns about infiltration attempts aimed at executing bomb blasts inside India.

Officials have also reported increased ISI-backed activity in Bangladesh. While regions bordering Bangladesh have previously faced threats from local extremist groups, the current situation is considered significantly more serious. With political developments favouring Pakistan’s influence in Bangladesh, intelligence assessments suggest that Pakistan’s ISI is orchestrating a major offensive, supported by recent cross-border terrorist movements and intercepted communication.

Sources indicate that JeM and LeT will jointly execute the planned operation. This collaboration was formalised following an ISI directive, after which top leaders of both organisations met in Pakistan to establish a unified command structure. A nine-member team of explosives experts has already been sent to Bangladesh to train local operatives with the objective of carrying out serial blasts in India.

Multiple JeM and LeT teams have travelled to Bangladesh in recent months to coordinate with local terror outfits. A senior aide of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed recently visited Bangladesh to meet and motivate operatives. Intelligence agencies further warn that Hafiz Saeed himself is expected to visit Dhaka this month for strategic meetings—a signal that planning is nearing completion. Officials believe the attack may be executed soon after Saeed’s visit.

The ISI appears to be systematically covering its tracks, another signal that a major strike may be imminent. Sleeper cells in West Bengal and the Northeast have been reactivated, and several madrasas in Bangladesh—used for indoctrination and radicalisation—have been shut down temporarily. These ISI-run institutions, staffed by LeT and JeM preachers, were originally established to prepare cadres for attacks in India. Their sudden closure suggests an effort to eliminate direct links in case the plot is exposed.

An official described the situation as a “textbook Pakistan operation.” Keeping these madrasas operational during an attack would risk exposing ISI’s role, as interrogations of their members would reveal connections to Pakistan-sponsored radicalisation networks.

Security analysts say the ISI is attempting to shift blame onto Bangladesh, using the country as a scapegoat. Should an attack occur, early intelligence trails would point to Bangladesh-based actors, enabling Pakistan to claim plausible deniability while deflecting international scrutiny.

With inputs from IANS