Bangladesh Crisis Poses 'Very Real' Threat To India, Says Sheikh Hasina's Son, Warns Of Islamist Rise

Last Updated:December 18, 2025, 09:57 IST

Sajeeb Wazed Joy said regression in Bangladesh’s internal stability could reverse gains in curbing insurgent activity along the India-Bangladesh border

Sajeeb Wazed, son of ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of and close advisor to exiled Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina, has sounded alarm over what he describes as a “very real threat" to India stemming from the unfolding political crisis in the neighbouring country. The warning comes amid deepening unrest following the ouster of Hasina’s government and the rise of an interim administration under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

On Wednesday, Delhi summoned Dhaka’s High Commissioner to convey India’s “strong concerns" over the rising activities of extremist elements threatening the Indian High Commission there.

In an interview with Indian Express, Wazed portrayed the current Dhaka government’s approach to the upcoming parliamentary elections, now scheduled for February, as a calculated move to marginalise democratic forces and empower Islamist parties, a shift he says could have direct implications for India’s security.

“Terrorist training camps have already sprung up in Bangladesh. Known Al Qaeda operatives have been active there and commanders of Pakistan LeT have spoken at public events there. So, the threat to India is imminent and very real," he said.

According to Wazed, the interim government’s decision to bar the Awami League from contesting polls amounts to a rigged process aimed at elevating Islamist groups that historically garnered only marginal support. He also alleged that the interim government has given Jamaat-e-Islami and other Islamist parties “a free hand" despite their historically small vote share, suggesting that the current political trajectory favours such groups through an undemocratic process.

Wazed warned that such forces gaining influence could destabilise Bangladesh at its core and increase cross-border security threats for India’s eastern frontier.

He also argued that the interim government’s decision to bar the Awami League from the February polls effectively “disenfranchises half the voters of the country" because his party has historically secured roughly 40 per cent of the vote—a base he says cannot be “wiped out" by administrative orders.

Speaking to Express, Wazed also accused the Yunus administration of loosening restrictions on Islamist outfits such as Jamaat-e-Islami, which had been suppressed under the previous Awami League regime, and of moving Dhaka closer to nations perceived as adversarial to Indian interests, like Pakistan.

He contended that the regression in Bangladesh’s internal stability could reverse gains in curbing insurgent activity along the India-Bangladesh border. “Our Awami League government kept India’s eastern borders safe from all terrorists. Prior to that, Bangladesh was used extensively as a base to conduct insurgency into India. That will resume," he added.

Hasina’s son also urged New Delhi to engage the international community more actively to call for a return to democracy in Bangladesh and ensure elections are free and inclusive.

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