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Pakistan’s notorious spy agency, the ISI has re-activated its 2022 programme codenamed ‘Take Back Bangladesh,’ in the wake of the political turmoil that is ragging through Bangladesh today.
A counter-terrorism official tells Organiser that this was a programme that the ISI had set up in 2022. It began with a bang, but owing to turmoil in its own backyard, the ISI had gone slow on the same. However, with Dhaka plunging into turmoil and the Muhammad Yunus-run caretaker government giving the radical Islamists a free run to attack Hindus, the ISI has reactivated this programme.
Take back Bangladesh
The 1971 Liberation War was not just a setback for Pakistan, but a huge embarrassment as well. Realising fully that Bangladesh was a lost cause, Pakistan decided to spread Islamic radicalisation in Bangladesh. For long, it has nurtured the radical elements in Bangladesh, and in addition to imparting training, it has also funded them heavily.
Today, the situation in Bangladesh is precarious and fragile. The ISI finds no better time than this to reactivate its anti-India agenda in the country. A camp has been set up in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to train youth, both male and female. Following their training, the ISI proposes to launch them into Bangladesh and direct attacks against Bharat. The ISI also plans subversive activities within Bangladesh with the sole intention of attacking the minority Hindus.
What the agencies fear is that the ISI could have it quite easy this time. A friendly government in Dhaka works perfectly to their advantage. Not only has the Yunus government given radical elements free access, but it has also softened its stance on Islamabad to a great extent.
The opening up of the sea route, which allows Pakistan vessels into Bangladesh, is a security nightmare. Pakistan could send in explosives, arms and ammunition with the confidence that it would pass without a check. Further, the visa norms have also been relaxed, which states that Pakistanis would not need prior security clearance before they leave for Bangladesh. This gives an official pass to terrorists. These are the factors that the ISI would use to its advantage while sending in its trained terrorists from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Biharis of Bangladesh
Following the liberation of Bangladesh, many Pakistanis were stranded in the country. They were unable to leave for Pakistan, and since then, Islamabad has failed to take any steps on this issue. These people are often referred to as the Biharis of Bangladesh.
While these people opted to leave Bangladesh, the Pakistani establishment did little to take them back. The Biharis of Bangladesh were offered citizenship, but they refused to take it, insisting that they be taken into Pakistan. Since the liberation, these people have been living in the 66 camps, which spread across 13 districts in Bangladesh.
They are referred to as Biharis as they are predominantly Urdu-speaking migrants from Bihar and West Bengal. They moved to Bangladesh following the partition of 1947. Since then, they have identified themselves with the state of Pakistan. However, life for them changed as they were seen as the stooges of the Pakistan Army. They were involved in the atrocities against the Bengalis in Bangladesh and called as perpetrators of the infamous Operation Searchlight that Pakistan launched. Since then, they have been seen as outcasts and enemies of Bangladesh.
Why is Pakistan sleeping over the Biharis
The Biharis, who remained a marginalised community in Bangladesh owing to their affinity to Pakistan and also the atrocities they indulged in, are today in no man’s land. While many Islamic nations have reminded Islamabad that it is obligated to take these people back, Pakistan has done little to act on the issue.
When Pakistan complained about the shortage of funds to take the Biharis back, the World Muslim League provided financial aid. However, Pakistan has done little or nothing for the Biharis, who have remained loyal to them.
However, for the ISI, loyalty means nothing, and the Biharis are instead viewed as assets. Pakistan’s gamble may have paid off and it is now planning on using the Biharis in a much bigger way to execute Islamic radicalisation and carry out terror strikes both in Bharat and Bangladesh. This was one of the main reasons why the attitude of not adhering to the pleas of the Biharis to take them back was ignored.
In the past as well these people have been used to undertake nefarious activities in Bangladesh. Knowing fully well that the Biharis refuse to be part of the community in Bangladesh, they have been used to target the minorities in the country. While this was being done on a smaller scale in the past, now the ISI plans on using them fully in a battle against the minorities and Bharat.
The Biharis of Bangladesh will do what the ISI would tell them to with the hope that they will one day be taken back to Pakistan. For long, they have remained a marginalised and stateless community. Their living conditions are bad, and they reside in crowded camps with no proper amenities. Their hopes for a better life in Pakistan are something that makes them follow orders from the ISI blindly.
The resilience of the Biharis, who live in pathetic conditions despite being offered citizenship by Bangladesh, is a sign of how much they yearn to be part of Pakistan. Little do they realise that their remain will remain unfulfilled. It is both their hope and sheer hatred for Bharat and Hindus which makes them trust the ISI blindly. The ISI will now use these people extensively, but at the end of it, for the Biharis, their fate lies in the dingy and dirty camps of Bangladesh.
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