Bangladesh and Pakistan launched their first-ever Air Staff Talks (AST) in Dhaka on 10 May 2025, days after Bangladeshi security agencies reportedly dismantled a large Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) module embedded within the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF). The simultaneous developments have raised serious concerns among regional security analysts and India's defence establishment.

Pakistan Air Force Delegation Arrives in Dhaka

A five-member delegation of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) officers, led by Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed, arrived in Dhaka on 10 May for a five-day visit, according to reports citing official documents. The delegation is participating in what has been designated the '1st Air Staff Talk (AST)' — the first bilateral staff-level military aviation meeting between the two countries.

Notably, Air Vice Marshal Ahmed holds multiple senior portfolios simultaneously — Director General Public Relations of the PAF, Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Operations), and Commander of the Air Force Strategic Command. Analysts point out that this is far from a routine bureaucratic visit, given his prominent role as a public face of Pakistan's military messaging during and after India's Operation Sindoor in May 2025.

TTP Module Uncovered Inside Bangladesh Air Force

Just weeks before the PAF delegation's arrival, Bangladeshi security agencies reportedly conducted sweeping raids across the country, targeting three BAF airbases and installations. The crackdown led to the arrest of at least two squadron leaders and several non-commissioned officers (NCOs) for alleged involvement with the TTP. Multiple other BAF NCOs were also detained, according to reports.

The BAF has made no official statement on the raids or the subsequent investigations. However, it is learnt that court martial proceedings have been initiated against the arrested officers and NCOs. Despite the punitive action, Bangladeshi bureaucrats have continued to travel to Islamabad for training, while Pakistani officials have proceeded with pre-arranged visits to Dhaka.

ISI Expansion in Bangladesh Since August 2024

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, Editor of Bangladeshi newspaper 'Blitz' and a counterterrorism and regional geopolitics expert, expressed alarm over the visit in a post on social media platform X. Choudhury argued that the visit cannot be dismissed as ceremonial military diplomacy, given the seniority and operational background of the visiting official.

Choudhury claimed that Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) has significantly intensified its activities across multiple sectors in Bangladesh since August 2024, following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. According to sources cited by Choudhury, these activities reportedly include the expansion of anti-India propaganda infrastructure, coordination of operatives linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), increased deployment of social media bot networks to counter anti-Pakistan narratives, and attempts to consolidate pro-Pakistan Islamist elements within Bangladesh.

India's Strategic Concerns Over Eastern Corridor

India's defence establishment is reportedly monitoring the PAF team's visit closely. Choudhury warned that the larger concern for India is not merely conventional military cooperation between Dhaka and Islamabad, but whether Bangladesh is being gradually repositioned as a strategic rear base for Pakistan's long-term asymmetric agenda targeting India's vulnerable eastern corridor.

This comes amid a broader pattern of Pakistan deepening engagement with Bangladesh since the August 2024 political transition in Dhaka — a shift that regional analysts say has accelerated faster than publicly acknowledged. With the first Air Staff Talks now underway and intelligence concerns mounting, the trajectory of the Bangladesh-Pakistan security relationship will be closely watched in the weeks ahead.