New Delhi, Dec 20 (NationPress) Recent reports have surfaced regarding the involvement of the Dhaka Cell, a unit established by the ISI in Bangladesh, amidst significant violence that erupted in the nation this week.

The Dhaka Cell was formed within the Pakistan High Commission with the primary aim of overseeing the recruitment of terrorists and extremists in Bangladesh. However, its broader agenda is focused on India.

According to an Intelligence Bureau official, the Dhaka Cell is not a conventional unit. It was established a few months ago following the visit to Dhaka by General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.

Indian intelligence has discovered that the turmoil in Bangladesh, triggered by the alleged murder of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, was the result of orchestration by the Dhaka Cell.

Furthermore, it has been revealed that the Dhaka Cell, since its inception in October, has been strategizing a large-scale unrest, patiently waiting for the opportune moment to ignite violence, particularly as elections are set for February 2026, as noted by an official.

The Dhaka Cell bears resemblance to a similar unit established by the ISI in Sri Lanka, which also operated from the Pakistan High Commission with the intent of forming terror cells in South India.

This previous module was disrupted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2014 after terror operatives conducted reconnaissance in Chennai and surrounding areas.

The Bangladesh cell comprises personnel from the Pakistan armed forces, including a brigadier, a colonel, and four majors, alongside officers from the Pakistan Air Force and Navy.

An official stated that this cell was established to execute a long-standing plan of the Pakistani establishment.

Since the ousting of Sheikh Hasina and the rise of the Muhammad Yunus caretaker government, the ISI has been devising a strategy to restore a pre-1971 version of Bangladesh.

Experts argue that Pakistan has yet to overcome the humiliation faced by its armed forces during the Bangladesh Liberation War, which led to the formation of the new country.

Multiple attempts have been made since then, with Islamabad consistently failing. With Yunus in power and the Jamaat-e-Islami in full control, the ISI perceived this moment as ideal to activate its plans.

The ISI found an opportunity when Sheikh Hasina was ousted, as she was perceived as an obstacle to ISI's ambitions in Bangladesh.

While the ISI did influence the student protests last August, it intensified its operations after Sheikh Hasina left the country.

An Intelligence Bureau official noted that the Dhaka Cell is in for a protracted campaign, primarily aimed at inciting unrest in Bangladesh. To achieve this, it aims to secure a victory for Jamaat in the upcoming elections; if that fails, delaying the elections remains another option.

However, the ISI’s broader agenda is focused on India, as it seeks to establish robust terror cells in West Bengal and the Northeastern states. This involves stressing the Indian security apparatus to facilitate easier infiltrations.

In the coming months, the Dhaka Cell is expected to remain active, with plans to instigate violence and turmoil in Bangladesh consistently leading up to the West Bengal elections scheduled for March-April next year.

Concurrently, the ISI will ramp up its activities along the Indian border to facilitate infiltrations. Indian security officials have stated their readiness for the challenges ahead, with one official asserting, 'The task ahead is formidable, but we are equipped to manage it.'