An Intelligence Bureau (IB) alert has uncovered a plot by terror outfits to attack the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and hold diplomats hostage, with the demand that former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina be extradited from India.

According to inputs, Al Qaeda in the Subcontinent (AQIS) and Jamaatul Ansar fil Hindal Sharqia were preparing the siege plan. Security officials suspect Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was backing the plot, as both groups lack the capacity to mount such an operation independently.

Since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, she has taken refuge in India. Her strong ties with New Delhi and tough stance against extremist groups had long angered the ISI and its proxy, the Jamaat-e-Islami. The regime change in Dhaka has given these groups more leeway, with ISI reportedly setting up new training camps and even deploying Jaish-e-Mohammad operatives to train Bangladeshi militants.

Officials warn that the plan to attack India’s mission fits ISI’s broader strategy of destabilizing Bangladesh and targeting Indian interests. A similar attempt was made in 2014, when the Burdwan blast module in West Bengal exposed ISI-backed efforts to smuggle explosives for attacks in Bangladesh aimed at weakening Hasina’s leadership.

With Bangladesh elections due in February 2026, Sheikh Hasina remains a polarizing figure. Her Awami League is banned from contesting, clearing the path for the BNP, while Jamaat, aligned with ISI, is pushing for Hasina’s return and trial. Analysts say raising Hasina’s extradition as a political issue allows both Jamaat and ISI to expand influence and recruit support.

Indian intelligence continues to monitor threats closely, stressing that ISI’s primary objective is to keep India’s eastern border volatile while reshaping Bangladesh’s political future.