The Harkat-ul-Jihadi-Islami (HUJI), meaning the ‘Movement of Islamic Holy War’, a terror outfit with its operational base in Bangladesh, has been rapidly reactivating its network. The resurgence follows the change of regime in Dhaka, which has created an enabling environment for the group. HUJI, which had been largely restrained during Sheikh Hasina’s rule, is now attempting to set up fresh modules along India’s eastern border.
Originally founded in Pakistan, HUJI was created to intensify militant activities in Jammu and Kashmir. The outfit was designed to complement Lashkar-e-Taiba’s operations in the region. However, with the Jaish-e-Mohammad also vying for dominance in Kashmir, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) gradually shifted HUJI’s focus to Bangladesh. This realignment aimed to destabilise India’s northeast and West Bengal regions.
In earlier years, HUJI managed to establish several cells in West Bengal and the northeastern states. Yet, increased vigilance and counter-terror measures by Indian security agencies, combined with the Hasina government’s clampdown on extremist networks, forced the outfit into near dormancy. This lull ended after Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, with the interim administration headed by Jamaat-e-Islami-backed Muhammad Yunus creating favourable conditions for extremist outfits to regroup.
The Yunus government’s alignment with Pakistan has particularly facilitated HUJI’s revival. Intelligence inputs confirm that the ISI has regained direct access to Bangladesh, enabling deeper coordination with radical outfits. According to security officials, at least six meetings between HUJI leaders and ISI operatives have been held over the past three months. These discussions reportedly centred on reactivating dormant cells, setting up new bases along India’s borders, and ensuring the group received logistical and financial backing. Critical to this resurgence has been the provision of security guarantees by the Jamaat, allowing HUJI to rebuild its operational structures. Arms, ammunition, and funding have begun to flow more freely, strengthening the group’s capabilities.
Lutfuzzaman Babar was a member of BNP and prime accused of 2004 Chittagong arms smuggling. He was helping terrorist groups in india ( north-east) he had link with harkat ul jihadi Islami (huji). Now islamists want him back in new interim government. pic.twitter.com/ZzP9ijLFgA
— G I D E O N 🇮🇳🇮🇱 (@WarLord709) August 11, 2024
Pintu’s release and Jamaat’s return fuel HUJI’s resurgence
The release of Abdus Salam Pintu has provided a further boost. A former junior minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader, Pintu was convicted in 2008 for his role in the 2004 grenade attack on Sheikh Hasina and sentenced to death. He was also accused of raising funds for HUJI, aiding weapons procurement, and overseeing recruitment and training at camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. After serving 17 years in prison, he was released in December 2024. Security agencies believe his longstanding ties with HUJI and his links with the ISI will once again be leveraged to enhance the outfit’s capabilities in the region. Pintu is not the only extremist figure to have been freed under the interim government. In September 2024, the Yunus administration also released Sheikh Aslam, a member of the banned Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), another radical outfit implicated in violent extremism. Perhaps the most consequential move, however, was the government’s decision to lift the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami. The group, widely regarded as one of the most radical and dangerous in Bangladesh, is now openly supporting and shielding militant organisations, according to intelligence assessments. Its political resurgence has emboldened outfits such as HUJI to expand activities with renewed confidence.
For Indian security agencies, the growing cooperation between the ISI, Jamaat, and HUJI presents a serious matter. The reactivation of cross-border terror modules increases the risk of infiltration and attacks, particularly in eastern India. HUJI’s revival, backed by Pakistan and facilitated by Bangladesh’s interim administration, represents a major shift in the regional security landscape. With terrorists like Pintu back in circulation and the state’s implicit support to extremist networks, India’s intelligence agencies warn of an imminent escalation in terror activities directed against Indian interests.
The revival of HUJI in Bangladesh, facilitated by ISI support and Jamaat’s resurgence, risks turning Dhaka into a breeding ground for militancy at India’s doorstep. The trajectory mirrors Gaza, where Hamas entrenched its terror infrastructure only to leave civilians in ruins when Israel dismantled it through force. India cannot afford a repeat of this model in its neighbourhood. With precedents like Operation Sindoor and earlier cross-border military actions against terror infrastructure in Pakistan, India has shown its willingness to act decisively. If extremist networks in Bangladesh are allowed to consolidate unchecked, New Delhi may be compelled to consider similar measures to neutralise the threat before it spirals into a Gaza-like crisis.
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