 "Top Lashkar terrorist Saifullah Khalid planning new front in Bangladesh: Report cites intel sources")
Saifullah Khalid, a senior commander of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and one of the masterminds of the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, made a high-profile public appearance at a rally in Punjab, Pakistan on Wednesday.
According to top Indian intelligence sources, Khalid’s speech at the event is being viewed as a strategic call to arms, laying the groundwork for a fresh wave of extremist activity—this time targeting Bangladesh.
The rally, organised by the Milli Muslim League (MML), a political proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba, was marked by Khalid’s incendiary rhetoric and his outlined vision for a new jihadist campaign. Intelligence reports reveal that Khalid is seeking to exploit Bangladesh’s internal political vulnerabilities to open a new front for Islamist militancy, with the backing of LeT’s state-supported infrastructure in Pakistan.
Crucially, the presence of Talha Saeed, son of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, at the same event has been interpreted as a sign of high-level endorsement for this renewed offensive. Intelligence officials warn that Khalid’s plan involves not just ideological incitement but also concrete operational steps.
During his speech, Khalid framed Bangladesh as a region where Muslims are suffering alleged persecution, using this narrative to incite religious extremism. He openly called for jihad against Hindus and urged militant action targeting both Bangladesh and India. The speech reportedly included pointed references to specific targets, blending religious fervor with tactical directives—a pattern often observed in previous LeT mobilizations.
Further intelligence inputs indicate that Saifullah Khalid is leading the development of new terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan’s Punjab province, particularly in the Allahabad area of Kasur district. This initiative includes plans to establish a hospital, which, according to sources, could serve a dual role as a legitimate cover for terror-linked operations and as a site to attract and radicalize Bangladeshi youth. Officials believe Khalid is attempting to exploit economic discontent among Bangladeshi communities to draw young recruits into Lashkar-e-Taiba’s ranks.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsKhalid also expressed strong backing for the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a proscribed terror group active in the region. Intelligence officials view this as a move to strengthen ties with local extremist elements and to form a broader jihadist network extending from Pakistan into Bangladesh.
Experts are interpreting these moves as a marked intensification of threat levels, highlighting Khalid’s rising prominence within Lashkar-e-Taiba’s leadership and the ongoing involvement of Pakistan-based actors in promoting cross-border militancy.
Recent apprehensions of JMB operatives in Pakistan have revealed their roles in targeting Bangladesh. The group has already demonstrated cross-border intent by staging pro-Hamas demonstrations in Dhaka. Intelligence reports suggest that Lashkar-e-Taiba supports JMB with training, financial resources, and logistics, coordinated by Pakistan’s ISI.
As LeT’s deputy chief, Khalid is known to provide JMB with the tools required to carry out attacks both within Bangladesh and against Indian interests. Intelligence sources believe his recent statements are in line with LeT’s broader aim of portraying itself as a defender of Islamic identity. This aligns with ISI’s objective of mobilising a new front in Bangladesh through alliances with local militant groups.
A video widely circulated online captures Khalid delivering an anti-India speech, in which he lashes out at Hindus and the Bharatiya Janata Party. He also referred to the Pakistani militants killed in India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ as “martyrs.” At the rally, Khalid said, “I heard about a terrorist attack in India on April 22, and later found out that I was named the mastermind. But we won’t be scared of gunfire—we long to die as martyrs.”
Khalid, Lashkar-e-Taiba’s second-in-command and a close aide of Hafiz Saeed, was reportedly in Kanganpur, Punjab, Pakistan, two months before the April 22 Pahalgam attack. In that incident, 26 non-Muslim tourists were killed after being asked about their religion by armed militants.
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