Hafiz Saeed’ ‘East Pakistan’ Plot Exposed: LeT Poised to Use Bangladesh as New Terror Launchpad

In a major security alert for India, fresh intelligence reveals that the Pakistan-based terror organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), led by the globally designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed, is actively working to establish Bangladesh as a new, strategic launchpad for orchestrating terror attacks against India.

The chilling disclosure confirms long-held fears that despite his nominal incarceration in Pakistan for terror financing, Saeed—the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks—is indeed “not sitting idle” and continues to direct his terror network with impunity.

The Explicit Threat from a LeT Platform

The plot was brought to light through a video recording of a public rally held in Khairpur Tamewali, Pakistan, on October 30. During the event, senior LeT commander Saifullah Saif openly detailed the organisation’s sinister plan.

In an inflammatory speech, Saifullah explicitly declared that “Hafiz Saeed was not sitting idle; he was preparing to attack India through Bangladesh.” He went on to claim that LeT operatives were already active in “East Pakistan” (a derogatory and anachronistic reference to the sovereign nation of Bangladesh) and were prepared to take action against India. The commander’s rhetoric, which included open calls for ‘jihad’ against India, highlights the dangerous geopolitical shift being attempted by the terror group.

Cultivating a New Nexus: Radicalisation and Training

Further intelligence corroborates the operational seriousness of the threat. Reports indicate that Hafiz Saeed has dispatched a close associate, Allama Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer, to Bangladesh. Zaheer’s mission is believed to be two-fold: to radicalise local youth under the pretext of ‘jihad’ and provide them with terrorist training.

Zaheer’s presence, including a reported visit to the Rajshahi district near the Indo-Bangladesh border, suggests a concerted effort to activate networks close to India’s vulnerable Northeastern flank. In his public addresses in Bangladesh, which were hailed by the LeT commander Saifullah, Zaheer reportedly spoke of reclaiming the “Bengal” that was “snatched” from them, directly alluding to a highly provocative and destabilising ‘Greater Bangladesh’ narrative.

The Patronage Problem

The revelation raises serious questions about the extent of freedom and operational support Hafiz Saeed continues to enjoy within Pakistan. Despite serving multiple concurrent prison sentences for terror financing, the ease with which his top commanders openly articulate sophisticated, cross-border terror plots—attended by scores of people, including children—underscores the alleged patronage the terror infrastructure receives from certain elements of the Pakistani establishment. Saeed is an internationally designated terrorist with a $10 million bounty on his head from the United States, yet his network appears capable of expanding its theatre of operations.

India’s Security Response

Indian security and intelligence agencies have taken immediate cognisance of this complex and emerging threat. Sources indicate that surveillance has been significantly intensified along the porous India-Bangladesh border to pre-empt any potential infiltration attempts or attempts to smuggle personnel and materiel.

The focus is now on the potential “Bangladesh-Pakistan nexus“—a worrying geopolitical development that security experts suggest could lead to the revival of extremist safe havens right on India’s eastern periphery, specifically targeting the vulnerable Northeastern states. The latest intelligence serves as a stark reminder that the masterminds of terror remain actively focused on destabilising the region by opening new fronts for violence and radicalisation.