Alarm bells ringing from Dhaka to Delhi; UN warns of new face of al-Qaeda threat in South Asia

 

 

 

 

According to IRNA, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper, while senior Bangladeshi counter-terrorism officials have also refused to comment on the matter, the discovery of bombs and explosives in and around Dhaka in recent weeks has prompted authorities to increase the level of preparedness and vigilance of security forces.

The warning comes amid renewed concerns about extremism in Bangladesh, with a UN Security Council sanctions monitoring team saying al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) is seeking to use Bangladesh to establish small, clandestine groups.

According to a UN report, Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent is trying to use Bangladesh to establish such cells as part of efforts to expand its logistical and financial networks.

The warning comes about 3.5 months after senior government officials declared there was no extremist activity in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, the recovery of bombs and explosives from Dhaka and other areas in recent weeks has prompted police to increase vigilance, intelligence monitoring, and counter-extremism and counter-terrorism activities at the field level.

The 38th report of the United Nations Security Council Sanctions Monitoring and Analytical Support Team describes Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent as an evolving regional terrorist organization in South Asia.

According to the report, Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) is seeking to transform itself from a relatively isolated organization into a regional network by developing logistical and financial links. The group is increasingly prioritizing small, scattered, and decentralized cells over large units.

The report also links the November 2025 attack on Delhi’s Red Fort to Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent.

In the case of Bangladesh, the report expresses concern about efforts to establish cells using the country’s soil. However, it does not identify any specific AQIS base in Bangladesh and does not disclose the location or number of members of any active cells.

In other words, this report does not declare the existence of an Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent base in Bangladesh, but rather an intelligence warning or advance threat assessment.

The UN assessment contradicts recent statements by Bangladeshi officials. On April 28, Bangladeshi Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said that there was currently no extremist activity in the country.

He continued that he did not accept the term “extremism”, arguing that the term had been used for political purposes in the past. However, he acknowledged that Bangladesh, like other countries, could have extremist or hardline elements.

Meanwhile, the government’s actions reflect ongoing concerns about terrorism and extremism.

On May 24, the Minister of Interior visited the activities of the Counter-Terrorism Unit (ATU) and the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTC), and stressed the need to strengthen the operational capacity of these units, modernize their operations, and expand technology-based activities to combat extremism and terrorism.