Pakistan’s growing military-intelligence engagement in Bangladesh has triggered regional security concerns after reports of TTP-linked arrests within the Bangladesh Air Force and expanding ISI activities. India is closely monitoring the evolving Dhaka-Islamabad defence cooperation and strategic developments in South Asia.
Fresh concerns over regional security and intelligence activities have emerged following reports of expanding military cooperation between Bangladesh and Pakistan, coinciding with an alleged crackdown on operatives linked to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) inside the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF).
According to reports published on Tuesday, Bangladesh and Pakistan recently launched their first-ever Air Staff Talks in Dhaka, marking a significant development in bilateral military relations between the two countries. The meeting comes amid heightened scrutiny from regional observers and defence analysts over Pakistan’s increasing engagement with Bangladesh’s military and strategic institutions.
Reports citing official documents stated that a five-member delegation from the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), led by Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed, arrived in Dhaka on May 10 for a five-day official visit. The bilateral meeting, officially titled the “1st Air Staff Talk (AST),” is being viewed as an important step in strengthening defence cooperation between Dhaka and Islamabad.
However, the timing of the visit has intensified concerns after reports claimed that Bangladeshi security agencies recently conducted extensive raids and investigations across several Bangladesh Air Force facilities. The operations reportedly targeted alleged TTP-linked networks operating within military establishments.
The report claimed that at least two squadron leaders and several non-commissioned officers (NCOs) were arrested during the investigations. Multiple other personnel were also reportedly detained for questioning in connection with alleged extremist links. The raids were said to have taken place across three major BAF airbases and related installations.
While the Bangladesh Air Force has not issued an official public statement regarding the raids or the alleged arrests, reports indicated that court martial proceedings against the detained officers and personnel have already begun. The absence of an official clarification has further fuelled speculation and security concerns within regional strategic circles.
Despite the alleged crackdown, military and bureaucratic exchanges between Bangladesh and Pakistan have reportedly continued uninterrupted. Bangladeshi officials are said to have maintained scheduled visits to Islamabad for training programmes, while Pakistani delegations continued their pre-planned engagements in Dhaka.
The latest military engagement is being closely monitored by India’s defence establishment due to its potential implications for regional stability and strategic security in South Asia. Analysts believe the evolving defence relationship between Bangladesh and Pakistan could alter regional geopolitical calculations, particularly in eastern India.
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, editor of the Bangladeshi newspaper Blitz and a commentator on counterterrorism and regional geopolitics, expressed serious concern regarding the Pakistani delegation’s visit. He claimed that Pakistan’s military-intelligence activities in Bangladesh have expanded rapidly since the political transition in Dhaka in August 2024.
Choudhury highlighted the profile of Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed, noting that the visiting official currently serves as Director General Public Relations of the Pakistan Air Force, Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Operations), and Commander of the Air Force Strategic Command.
According to Choudhury, Ahmed played a visible role in Pakistan’s anti-India military messaging during and after India’s “Operation Sindoor” in May 2025. He argued that the official’s presence in Dhaka should not be interpreted merely as routine military diplomacy or ceremonial engagement.
The analyst further alleged that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has intensified operations across multiple sectors in Bangladesh following the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from office. These activities, according to his claims, allegedly include efforts to strengthen anti-India propaganda networks, facilitate operatives linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and expand coordinated social media campaigns aimed at countering anti-Pakistan narratives.
He also claimed that attempts are being made to consolidate pro-Pakistan Islamist groups within Bangladesh’s political and ideological landscape.
Strategic experts believe the growing ties between Dhaka and Islamabad may have broader implications beyond conventional military cooperation. The primary concern, analysts argue, centres on whether Bangladesh could gradually emerge as a strategic platform for Pakistan’s long-term asymmetric objectives targeting India’s eastern corridor.
| Also Read: UNAMA Reports Massive Afghan Civilian Deaths in Pakistan Conflict |
As the Air Staff Talks continue in Dhaka, regional governments and intelligence agencies are expected to closely monitor further developments surrounding the evolving Bangladesh-Pakistan defence relationship and its wider security implications across South Asia.
