- By Ajeet Kumar
- Thu, 06 Aug 2026 09:28 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
- Sajeeb Wazed Joy warns India of Bangladesh extremism.
- Al-Qaeda operatives speaking publicly in Bangladesh, security threat.
- Sheikh Hasina vows return to restore democracy despite risks.
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, has raised concerns over the alleged rise of extremist activities in Bangladesh, warning that the country could pose a growing security challenge to India.
Speaking in New Delhi on Wednesday, Joy said Bangladesh had become “another Pakistan” on India’s eastern flank and alleged that Al-Qaeda operatives were speaking at public rallies in the country. He further warned that Bangladesh could become a source of the “next generation of global terrorists” if the alleged extremist activities are not stopped.
"Pakistan's ISI has an open hand in Bangladesh. Hundreds of militants we had arrested have been released.. This is a problem for India and the world".
Watch the video for Sajeeb Wazed Joy’s full remarks
VIDEO | Delhi: "What should concern India most is that Bangladesh has become another Pakistan on India's eastern side. You have another Pakistan today on your eastern front... Al-Qaeda operatives are speaking at public rallies. This is what is happening in Bangladesh, and this… pic.twitter.com/fVYwDUd0RR
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 5, 2026
"Bangladesh has become another Pakistan"
"What should concern India most is that Bangladesh has become another Pakistan on India's eastern side. You have another Pakistan today on your eastern front... Al-Qaeda operatives are speaking at public rallies. This is what is happening in Bangladesh, and this does not portend well for India or the world at large,” Joy said virtually.
“In the future, the next generation of global terrorists is going to come from Bangladesh unless this is stopped," added Hasina's son.
Sheikh Hasina vows to return Bangladesh
Hasina on Wednesday declared that she is determined to return home in December to put the country on the "right track" by restoring democracy, notwithstanding the risk of facing the threat of imprisonment or a death sentence.
Hasina made the remarks during an audio-only virtual press conference -- her first public media interaction since fleeing to India on August 5, 2024, in the face of a massive protest. Attendees were unable to see the former prime minister and heard only her voice.
"They may kill me"
The Bangladesh foreign ministry reacted sharply to Hasina's media interaction and said the country is "outraged" as the interaction was permitted to be held despite Dhaka conveying concerns to New Delhi over the likely ramifications of the event on the bilateral relations.
"I know, they may put me in jail or kill me," Hasina said, adding, "I will go back home to be with my people."
The Awami League leader also described India as a "great friend" of Bangladesh and said it always stood by her country in times of difficulty. In her comments, Hasina delved into the prevailing political environment in her country and the challenges facing its people, asserting that her return is not about power but to put Bangladesh back on the track of development, secularism and prosperity.
"Whatever fate awaits me, I will return to my people. I cannot stay away while my beloved countrymen are suffering," she said at the media interaction held at the Foreign Correspondents' Club. "I may be detained, I may be sent to prison, they may try to enforce verdicts issued in fabricated cases. But fear cannot decide my duty to the people. My life moved beyond calculations of personal safety long ago.
"In 1975, I lost my family. I spent six years in exile. After returning home, I fought against military rule, dictatorship, assassination attempts and political conspiracies," she said.
(With inputs from PTI)