The United Nations Security Council has warned that Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) is actively attempting to use Bangladesh as a base to establish and expand terrorist cells across the region. The warning is contained in the 38th report of the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, submitted to the Security Council committee overseeing Islamic State, Al-Qaida, and associated groups.

Key Findings of the UN Report

The report links the November 2025 Red Fort attack in Delhi to AQIS, marking a significant escalation in the group's operational reach. According to Bangladeshi media reports, the UN team flagged concerns over AQIS's efforts to exploit Bangladesh's territory for building broader terrorist networks. The team concluded that terrorist threats have “intensified” across South Asia.

The report noted that AQIS has evolved from a fragmented outfit into a more structured regional entity. “AQIS continued to evolve from a fragmented group into a regional terrorist entity,” the report stated, adding that the organisation had established logistics and financial networks while operating through “decentralised small, scattered cells instead of large units.”

Bangladesh's Changing Security Landscape

Concerns over Bangladesh's vulnerability have mounted since democratically elected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced into exile following an uprising in which Islamist elements played a significant role. Security analysts and regional governments have since raised alarms over the possibility of terrorist organisations finding fertile ground in the country during its political transition.

The UN report situates these concerns within a broader deterioration of the security environment across South Asia, noting that while the global terrorist threat level remained broadly unchanged, it had specifically intensified in the Sahel and South Asia. The report also acknowledged that Al-Qaida's senior leadership remained marginalised, with its “capability and intent to conduct external operations” remaining unclear.

Afghanistan-Pakistan Tensions and Taliban Links

The report highlighted that regional tensions remained elevated, with cross-border attacks between Pakistan and Afghanistan continuing. It accused Taliban authorities of sustaining support for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has escalated attacks against Pakistan and provoked military exchanges between the two neighbours. The Taliban, for its part, continued to deny harbouring terrorist groups.

Notably, AQIS leaders were believed to remain in Kabul and had reportedly been issued Afghan identity documents, suggesting close operational cooperation between the Taliban and the organisation. The report also identified AQIS as forming the backbone of Ittihad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, which was reportedly responsible for several attacks in the region.

Broader Regional Threat Assessment

The UN team warned that the ability of several terrorist groups to operate freely inside Afghanistan remained an enduring threat to neighbouring countries and Central Asia. Despite operations against Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) and attempts to contain other groups, the Taliban has been unable to suppress the terrorist problem within its borders, the report said.

Member states expressed concern that the ongoing conflict could create further opportunities for extremist organisations and generate compounding security challenges across the region. AQIS was founded in 2014 by Al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. With the group now reportedly embedding itself in Bangladesh, South Asia faces what the UN describes as a measurably more dangerous threat environment than a year ago.