Bangladesh at the edge of a storm: Sudden madrasa shutdown near Dhaka signals deepening ISI terror footprint in South Asia

Bangladesh is now caught in the crosshairs of a dangerous geopolitical collision – one that its political leadership can no longer dismiss as coincidence or rumor. A massive madrasa near Dhaka, previously flagged by security agencies as a breeding ground for radicalization, has abruptly shut down its entire operations, with senior members disappearing overnight. This shock closure came immediately after the arrest of several medical practitioners from Faridabad-based Al Falah University, as well as the detention of Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, the powerful chairman of the Al Falah group, in connection with the recent Delhi blast.

For counterterrorism experts, this chain of events is not only suspicious — it is explosive.

Something far bigger is unfolding beneath the surface.

In the world of extremist networks, institutions do not disappear without a trace unless there is something to hide: evidence to destroy, trails to erase, connections to bury.

And the timing could not be more damning.

A madrasa vanishes overnight – A red flag ignored at our own peril

The madrasa in question – located near the capital, known for years as a suspected den of extremist grooming – shut its gates with an urgency that shocked local residents. Teachers, administrators, and financiers fled, leaving behind ghost buildings and unanswered questions.

This was not a financial collapse.
This was not a routine administrative issue.
This was a strategic evacuation.

The shutdown followed the dramatic arrests in India related to the Delhi blast – a blast that Indian investigators now believe has transnational footprints involving Bangladesh-based extremists, Pakistan-backed groups, and the broader operational structure of Al Falah institutions.

According to law enforcement intelligence in Dhaka, the madrasa had long maintained “communication channels” with certain religious charities and private donors associated with the Gulf region and Pakistan. Yet, despite years of suspicion, no decisive investigation had been conducted.

Now, after the Al Falah arrests, the madrasa’s sudden disappearance is being seen as a full-scale retreat – an attempt to escape scrutiny before a regional crackdown exposes its true activities.

PoK terrorists headed to Bangladesh: A new wave of ISI-backed operations

What makes this situation even more precarious is a highly credible intelligence leak: a team of terrorists from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is expected to enter Bangladesh next week. Among them are at least three seasoned explosives specialists – individuals usually deployed only when a high-impact operation is being prepared.

Sources suggest that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s military intelligence apparatus, is gearing up for a new series of coordinated terror attacks inside India. The plan, experts believe, involves deep collaboration with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), and their satellite groups active across South Asia.

This raises a fundamental and deeply alarming question:

Why are PoK-based operatives arriving in Bangladesh at the exact moment a madrasa connected to suspected extremist channels shuts down?

The answer is as unsettling as it is obvious: Because Bangladesh is being positioned – deliberately or opportunistically – as a staging ground for a major cross-border terror offensive.

Why Bangladesh is attractive to ISI right now

Pakistan’s ISI has historically used Bangladesh as a transit and recruitment zone for subversive activities in India. While several crackdowns in the past decade slowed down these networks, they were never fully dismantled.

Today, Bangladesh presents certain vulnerabilities that ISI may attempt to exploit:

1. Political transition and power vacuum

Bangladesh is navigating complex political transitions that have fractured traditional lines of security oversight. When political leaders become preoccupied with internal power struggles, extremists often seize the moment to regroup and re-infiltrate.

2. Geographic advantage

With borders connecting to several Indian states – including West Bengal, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Assam – Bangladesh offers direct access to regions where ISI-backed groups already maintain sleeper cells.

3. Presence of sympathetic local networks

Several banned outfits, though weakened, still maintain sympathizers, logistics facilitators, and ideological supporters inside Bangladesh. These networks are perfect hosts for foreign operatives looking for shelter, supplies, or recruits.

4. Underestimated madrasa ecosystem

While the vast majority of Bangladesh’s madrasas are peaceful, a minority have historically served as ideological incubators for radical recruitment. These institutions are ideal hiding places for operatives posing as teachers, students, preachers, or caretakers.

The sudden shutdown of the Dhaka-area madrasa – paired with the impending arrival of explosives experts from PoK – suggests that extremists may be trying to reorganize their regional infrastructure before Indian and Bangladeshi intelligence closes in.

India’s Northeast and West Bengal: The expected targets

Intelligence assessments from both Indian and Bangladeshi sides increasingly point toward a possible series of attacks in:

• West Bengal
• Assam
• Tripura
• Meghalaya
• Nagaland

These regions are strategically valuable for ISI-backed outfits for three reasons:

1. Porous borders

The geography itself makes surveillance challenging, especially in riverine and forested border areas.

2. Local vulnerabilities

Ethnic tensions, cross-border trade, and smuggling channels offer cover for terror movement.

3. Existing sleeper cells

Years of ISI infiltration have left behind clusters of facilitators capable of providing logistics, housing, and intelligence to incoming militants.

If PoK operatives are arriving in Bangladesh, they are unlikely to come as idle observers. They are coming to activate, coordinate, and direct.

The Al Falah connection: A shadow network spanning India and Bangladesh

The arrests in India involving Al Falah University exposed what Indian investigators believe is a deeper structural relationship between certain academic bodies, charitable groups, and extremist pipelines.

Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, the chairman of the Al Falah group, was not a fringe academic. He oversaw an institution with political connections, financial backing from Gulf sources, and an expanding network across South Asia.

His arrest sent shockwaves across the region – and, evidently, across the madrasa network in Bangladesh.

The sequence of events raises a troubling possibility:

Were components of the Al Falah-linked ecosystem being used as cover for radical operations, recruitment, or training?

If so, the shutdown of the madrasa near Dhaka was a tactical decision – a preemptive escape before investigators start connecting the dots.

Bangladesh must recognize the severity of this moment

Bangladesh has done more than many Muslim-majority nations to combat extremism. From dismantling Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to suppressing Ansarullah Bangla Team – now known as Ansar Al Islam, a local franchise of Al Qaeda, and neutralizing neo-JMB cells, the country has consistently shown a willingness to confront the purveyors of radical ideology.

However, the new developments demand a level of vigilance and assertiveness that surpasses anything in recent years.

This is not merely a terrorism threat.
This is a geopolitical siege.

If ISI-backed operatives establish new bases in Bangladesh – whether through madrasas, charities, migrant channels, or ideological networks – the consequences will be catastrophic:

• Bangladesh will face heightened international scrutiny.
• Diplomatic relations with India may become strained.
• Foreign investors may hesitate.
• Extremist groups inside the country could regain momentum.
• The nation’s hard-won reputation as a counterterrorism success story could collapse.

Most importantly, innocent civilians in both Bangladesh and India will pay the price.

The media cannot remain silent

One of the greatest dangers facing Bangladesh today is the silence – sometimes intentional, sometimes enforced – around radical infiltration.

When suspicious institutions vanish overnight, the media has a duty to investigate.

When foreign terrorists arrive, the media must alert the public.

When policy weaknesses emerge, the media must demand accountability.

In times like these, silence is complicity.

A call to regional counterterrorism agencies

The developments of the past week indicate that South Asia may be on the brink of a new terror wave. Counterterrorism agencies across the region must:

1. Intensify information sharing

India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Maldives must exchange actionable intelligence on PoK-based operatives.

2. Monitor Madrasa and NGO networks

Financial flows, new recruits, foreign visitors, and sudden closures must be scrutinized.

3. Track Gulf-based funding pipelines

Many extremist networks receive silent funding through charities, remittance channels, or religious trusts operating out of the Gulf.

4. Strengthen border surveillance

Particularly in Benapole, Akhaura, Hili, Sylhet, Brahmanbaria, and the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

5. Identify local collaborators

Every foreign operative depends on local logistics, ideology, and shelter providers.

A warning Bangladesh must not ignore

The sudden shutdown of a madrasa near Dhaka is not an isolated event. It is part of a broader pattern that includes:

• The Al Falah arrests in India
• The Delhi blast investigation
• The disappearance of madrasa leaders
• The arrival of PoK terrorists with explosives experts
• The silent mobilization of ISI proxies
• The reactivation of sleeper cells across India’s Northeast and West Bengal

Together, these events form a picture that is impossible to dismiss.

Bangladesh is being drawn – deliberately or inadvertently – into a dangerous operation that could destabilize the entire region.

If the nation fails to act now, it may soon find itself confronting consequences far more devastating than a madrasa closure or a terror cell. It may find itself facing a geopolitical crisis engineered by foreign agencies using religious institutions and cross-border networks as invisible weapons.

This is the moment for Bangladesh to choose clarity over denial, vigilance over complacency, and decisive action over dangerous silence.

Because once the storm breaks, it will be too late.

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