Tariq Lodhi

1. As Bangladesh tries to stabilize after the regime change, in which Hasina Wajid was ousted unceremoniously, and fled to India, the aftershocks continue to unfold Indian designs to retain its strangulating influence on Bangladesh. For India, it had lost its India, after the initial upset, is unleashing its fury through its contingency plans, specifically designed to combat such situations. It is trying to scavenge the levers and engines of its domination upon the Bangladeshi public, using various tools of Hybrid War. As it continues to support Israeli propaganda machinery by generously feeding it with state-of-the-art pro-Israeli contents, it has also jump-started its promotion of Hinduism and its mythologies, a collective effort to promote subtle Islamophobia and to reduce the cyber-space for any Islamic contents in the cyber-space. It has also raised the level of its covert interferences and kinetics in the region, to deter any potential support for Bangladesh against Indian hegemonic designs. To impose itself on Bangladesh, it has also mobilised its security along Indo-Bangla borders, to generate pressures on the nascent interim Bangladesh government. With imposing restrictions of the border, it is exploiting the deterrence value of the several trade and commerce, and energy supply chains passing through these borders. With these measures, while India is tactfully pressurising Bangladesh, it is also playing to the international gallery to invite international interventions in Indian support.
2. India, is faced with double jeopardy; as it was preparing for its further push towards absolute domination of Bangladesh and to use it as a sacrificial goat at the altar of its escalation against Chinese influence along Himalayas and Myanmar, its hopes for capitalising upon the potential pseudo-political unrest being precipitated by extensive India-backed digital-terrorism, were also dashed, as Pakistani Armed Forces pulled the rug from beneath Indian security and intelligence establishment. With Pakistan’s firm stand against the TTP, Indian aspirations suffered a fatal blow, as Pakistani Military brought several of its senior officers before Field general Court Martials, placing the whole cleansing process beyond the reach of the influencers from Indian and other lobbies. If India was counting on the Pakistan’s domestic political polarisations and mechanisations to make Pakistan vulnerable for final Indian push through use of Hybrid-Warfare kinetics through its proxies, then those have been dashed for the moment. India would now need to conduct the firefighting on two fronts during the global Gray Zone Conflicts.
3. India has been taken by surprise and its Intelligence Systems had failed to assess the situation and detect the impending downfall. It is a matter of time, that this grave intelligence failure by RAW and its other agencies will be further exposed and hit the fan. As the RAW is spending its energies against Pakistan and China in Myanmar and in Iran, and is conducting clandestine or Hybrid Warfare against Pakistan through its proxies, it had completely relegated Bangladesh, one of the jewels in Cold War crowns, to be left to its local proxies, who were more interested in looting the resources than anything else. With this successful uprising in Bangladesh, India, which undoubtedly has risked massive investments in terms of time, resources, and strategies, can only wait and see, and that’s what it is doing at the moment, as the fluid situation is taking its time to settle down.
4. The global social media is suddenly deluged by sensational and well-crafted propaganda contents, that are aimed at attracting viewers towards the Hindu mythologies and artefacts. But if it were that alone, it could have been considered as an innocent public reaction; but what pushes it into the strategic propaganda levels is its rising synchronisation with Israel’s anti-Palestine propaganda and India’s own anti-Pakistan and anti-China propaganda. Combined with the support of pro-Israel IT giants, Indian 5GW elements are capturing larger cyber-surfaces, while systematically, anti-Israel and pro-Palestine contents are being purged. Similarly, India has now added Bangladesh to its expanding list of targets, and is using the social-media and other cyber-tools to spread rumours, fake-news etc. through a violent push-back by its confirmed proxies, led by AL.
5. The Interim Bangladesh government has alleged that groups with ulterior motives are spreading malicious rumours about outbreak of communal attacks on minorities so that minorities flee towards Bangladesh-India borders in hope to cross-over to India for safety and refuge. Indian agencies are now concentrating to confuse and disorientate the public at large in Bangladesh, by churning out stream of narratives to discredit the change, and to emphasise that it has been an international conspiracy. In a well-planned contingency response, sub-narratives are being spread through the vast Indian managed 5GW cadres. With the immense 5GW capability, whose glimpse the world saw through the expose of Indian Chronicles, and its recent demonstration of its propaganda power through Cyber-Media, including social media, in its anti-Army narratives in Pakistan, and pro-Israel propaganda in international media, as well as its subtle effort to deepen the global religious divides, these cannons are now shifting their sites towards Bangladesh. Rumour-mills have sprung up, powered by social media, to create a perception of economic meltdown to bring despondency amongst Bangladeshis, create an aura of religious persecution against Hindus, and portraying the fleeing of hardcore known Indian loyalists as Bangladeshi as mass-Hindu migration to India as refugees. There has been a longstanding complaint by Bangladesh against BSF, who had been indiscriminately killing Bangladeshi civilians in the area, accusing them of being involved in smuggling. To generate a narrative of mass exodus of refugees from Bangladesh, and to invite more tangible Indian interference to turn the wheel around, BSF began arresting innocent Bangladeshis who had gone to India along the border-area of Bhogadanga, to attend family arranged Bhasan Puja. BSF, could only arrest 7-Bangladeshis on these charges and subsequently released them due lack of any evidence. Bangladesh people harbour deep grievances against Indian annexation of ‘Tin Begha’ strip, through the controversial agreement between Indian PM and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (SMR) in 1974, after which, ironically, India leased the same land back to Bangladesh, thus retaining its strategic right to blockade it at will.
6. A closer examination of the Indian propaganda works reveals that India is trying to apply outdated contingency plans to scavenge the situation, and has unleashed a hurriedly-put-together massive propaganda campaign, using various beaten narratives, that are getting exposed with the speed they are emerging. The world media has pointed out that it is abundantly clear that the Indian media is making up the narratives, based on “dictations” from a common handler, obviously the Security and Intelligence establishment. The obvious attempt to project the Bangladesh scenario through Islamophobic narratives has been exposed due to its crude and grotesque composition. The Indian-made narratives are trying to mobilize an opinion that the Bangladesh change has been engineered by international forces, thus absolving Indian hegemony and Hasina Wajid’s cronyism, and underplaying the rising anti-Indian sentiments. Ironically, India has grudgingly admitted harbouring of anti-India sentiments in segments of Bangladesh society, an admission, that sounds death-knolls for the era of Indian hold upon Bangladeshi people. To spice up the narrative, Indian sponsored lobbies are trying to instigate Hindu extremists in India against Muslims, by suggesting that the Bangladeshi uprising was a harbinger and rehearsal for similar uprising in India. Though, at this stage, this may just be another secondary narrative, but it has great risk of agitating the Hindu extremists in India, and also further frustrating minorities, under an extended rule of BJP led government, known for its partisan attitudes towards Muslims. Creation of panic was also intended in Bangladesh, by spreading fake news of forecasting forced displacement and migration of at least 1-crore Hindus, who would be heading for Indo-Bangladesh borders, to take refuge in India. Are the Indian key-board-warriors inadvertently kicking a bomb, is yet to be seen. The International media has pointed-out numerous anomalies and incidents of feeding fake news into the Indian made vortex of propaganda. In one of the clips that was pumped-up in the social media, graphically displayed four houses, allegedly belonging to Hindus, that as per the propagandists, were put-to-fire, by so called Islamic extremists; but independent verifications revealed that two of the gutted houses belonged to Muslims, and the other two to Hindus, all four being Awami League (AL) stalwarts in the same constituency, who all were being targeted due to their coercive political roles, and definitely not due to their religious affiliations. Against all the figures being quoted about Hindu causalities, according to international media sources, death of only two Hindus, both member of AL could be verified. These revelations vindicate Bangladesh’s position that barely any communal violence has taken place. Another narrative that India is trying to build suggests that the uprising was engineered by pro-ISI and pro-China elements in connivance with Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Begum Khalida Zia, and Jamaat-e-Islami, both, who had been politically collaborating against AL, and pose a potent political threat to Al and its perceived return to politics. Such narratives are not only meant to take the steam out of the ongoing changes in Bangladesh, but also laying down future political strategies to be exploited by the remnants of AL. All this effort in the propaganda domain expresses India’s intent to destabilize the nascent Bangladesh’s interim government and to resuscitate the chaos, which is dying down. These rumour-mill products added another dimension to Bangladesh’s politics, when Hasina Wajid’s USA based son has alleged that the uprising was pro-USA and executed by Jamaat-e-Islami and ISI.
7. India has plenty of experience of various clandestine interventions in the neighbouring states, including Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. In all these targeted countries, it has been persistently, and in layers, cultivating potential mid-level leaders in the legislature, judiciary, and militaries, to be used for promoting Indian interests, as they climb the ladders of leadership. In fact, India has done nothing new; it has simply imitated what the super-powers have always been doing to dominate the weaker states since at least last hundred years or so. The most graphic description of such covert adventures undertaken by Intelligence Agencies have been well described in “Inside the company: CIA” by Philip Agee. Developing politically favourable political players for subsequent enlargement of these contacts into wider strategic alliances, has been one of the many routes to internal interferences into host nations by India. Indian secret agents boast of broaching clandestine contacts with 14Th Dalai Lama, who is being hosted in India after his defection from Tibet on 31-Mar-1959 with Indo-American clandestine collaboration, hosting MSRs daughter, Hasina Wajid in India immediately after assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (SMR) on 15-Aug-1975, developing strong relations with the exiled Ayatullah of Iran in France, developing political equations with Aung San Suu Kyi by factoring-in her mother and fathers relations with India, etc. In other neighbouring countries, India has used its covert arm to manipulate regime changes at one time or the other. This is one of the main reasons, that after being compromised of its covert interventions in Bangladesh, the Bangladeshi public resorted to an uprising, and has forced the abdication of politicians and judiciary officials to throw-off the Indian yoke around their necks.
8. India which like its ally Israel has been trying to establish its deterrent value across the Indian Ocean has been using all the tactics that Israel has been using against Iran. India has been carrying out assassinations in the region, covertly partnering with Israel in staging various covert dramas that could, provide plausible justification to Israel in exerting pressures on Iran, using Iranian soil and its hospitality to launch Covert attacks into Afghanistan and Pakistan, besides paving grounds for Israel to also use these resources inter-changeably.
9. Immediately after the exit of Hasina Wajid, some attacks against Hindus took place in Bangladesh, by miscreants, who wanted an outbreak of communal violence for Indian and to subvert international audience. Also, immediately, small groups of Hindu community appeared in some AL intensive localities, which were widely projected as country-wide outbreak of communal violence. As appearing in the media photographs, there were only few dozens of protestors, with liberal display of placards, specially prepared for media coverage. The Protests were immediately followed by statements from Indian politicians, to develop a powerful narrative of persecution of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. It was obvious that small groups of dedicated Hindu Bangladeshis belonging to AL have been prompted to hold protests against, communal attacks in wake of Hasina Wajid’s flight to India. Indian media is blowing these demonstrations out of proportion, which the Bangladesh government calls as campaign of malicious rumours. In another similar protests at ‘Gobinathpur’ area, some miscreants under the garb of protest blocked the main highway. When local security forces came to inquire and to restore traffic, these miscreants attacked the vehicle, torching it and injuring seven security officials. Later, District level office bearers of one of the districts organised a demonstration, sensationalising it by wearing Kafan, and promising to restore Hasina Wajid back in power. This provided fuel to Indian sponsored propaganda machinery, who spread the highly exaggerated reports.
10. The Indian narrative suffered another setback, when the social media was flooded by pictures of Muslim Madrassa students guarding Hindu properties and temples. India has conceded, grudgingly, that there have been several incidents, where the Muslims guarded against attacks on Hindu minorities, their temples, and people. While the Bangladeshi authorities have confirmed that 30-FIRs have been registered in 20-Districts of the sixty-three, for violence against Hindus / Minorities. However, as the police has returned on duty, in most of the police stations, after briefly absconding, that was said to have been a strike, things have significantly improved and attacks against Hindu minorities have ceased. Third Flag Operations by India’s proxies in Bangladesh, to instigate a communal violence, providing Justification for India for a more physical intervention, is widely suspected. It is expected that India will try to enforce carrot-and-stick approach to tame the Interim Government of Bangladesh, by on one hand, use its covert assets that it has developed and drilled into the Bangladesh society with help of Hasina Wajid’s rule, and create law and order situations, and on the other hand offer diplomatic supports. India’s one of the major objectives would be holding of early elections, so that its sympathisers embedded deeply in Bangladesh’s state pillars could be used to bring back Hasina Wajid or her alternate puppet.
11. The cat was let out of the bag, as India stated that Hasina Wajid was India’s friend, and India would support her, conveniently ignoring that states support the people of neighbours, and not individuals. India has made no statement committing any support for Bangladeshi people or their aspirations. This statement speaks a lot about the special relationship Hasina Wajid had with India and confirms all suspicions about her being the Indian points-person assigned to jockey Bangladesh. The Indian statement remind of the Israel’s famous Champaign Spy of early sixties in the Middle East. Though India has tactfully evaded the question of her expected period of stay in India, as there are reports of her visas to other western countries being withdrawn quietly, considering the example of Dalai Lama, it can be safely deduced that she will be staying in India for an indefinite period, while India will make all-out efforts to use her waning influence in Bangladesh, to Indian advantage, as ruthlessly as need be, in the Hybrid-Warfare. While India has made it clear to the Bangladeshi government that it does not intend to host Hasina Wajid indefinitely, and is giving an impression that it is in no mood to carry the baggage of her loyalists, who are perceived as Indian proxies and highly corrupt persons, it would not like Hasina Wajid carrying with her 20-years of clandestine dealings, to fall in hands of foreign intelligence services, or worst in hands of Indian enemies. Though, an early abandonment of Hasina Wajid could signal weakening of Indian Security hold over Bangladesh, who any time could demand extradition of these Bangladeshis taking refuge in India, lest Bangladesh allows refuge to the militants from militancy affected North East Indian states, India will play possum for the time being, while underground it will continue to destabilize Bangladesh. Already, upon one of the private citizen’s appeals, the court has ordered opening of an investigations against Hasina Wajid, in the death of a grocer in Mohammadpur area, who was shot by police during a student’s demonstration on 19-Jul-2024. As per the report by the complainant, the politicians and police officers, were carrying out the illegal orders of Hasina Wajid. Four senior police officers, the Home Minister and AL’s General Secretary have also been nominated in the case. The four police officers, who were handpicked by Hasina Wajid, are absconding, and rumoured to have resigned. This case by a private citizen is likely to open the flood gates of filing criminal cases against Hasina Wajid and her coterie, who have either fled the country, or are in the process of doing so. Though, the Bangladesh courts have yet not sought extradition of Hasina Wajid and the other accused, but Indian hosts are cognizant of this possibility and are therefore not committing to the status of Hasina Wajid’s stay in India. Besides, India, at this stage does not want itself to be further antagonized and would like to tip-toe over this major upheaval in the Bangladeshi geostrategic landscape. Several known figures associated with AL were detained along with their families, when they were trying to flee abroad. Most of these people are accused of massive corruption and other blatant abuse of power.
12. While parrying the questions about the duration Hasina Wajid was allowed to stay in India, the Indian Interior Minister diplomatically made it clear that she will have to move-on when she so feels; or in other words, she will be expected to leave India and not settle there on asylum etc. Knowing well that Hasina Wajid is not a permanent guest or an Asylum case in India, Bangladesh government has downplayed her presence in India and has not engaged in any wrangling on this issue, nor have so far demanded her handing over to Bangladesh. It is well understood that India has a layer of contingency plans to scavenge the situation and secure its strategic interests in Bangladesh, by hook or by crook. However, what it is worried most about now is Pakistan or China taking advantage of this situation engineer induction of anti-India, or pro-China or pro-Pakistan politicians, or worst, members of Jamaat e Islami (Bangladesh), in the interim government. Meanwhile, after the initial shock, Hasina Wajid’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who is based in USA, after India’s intervention, has demanded early elections in Bangladesh, so that his mother and her party could return to power. It appears that he is taking the saddle of AL as successor of his mother. India while maintaining pressure on Bangladesh, has set up a Border Monitoring Committee to keep an eye on the Indo-Bangladesh borders. o handle any Hindu immigrants attempting to take refuge in India. India is trying the have a plausible justification at hand, to directly interfere in Bangladesh, should its strategic interests so require.
13. With the collapse of Hasina Wajid led government, heads have begun to roll. The resignations by the Chief Justice, and several other Judges, has begun a scramble by known Indian and AL loyalists to flee from the country. The interim government has disclosed that at least, Tk 92, 2610 million have been squandered and looted by the Hasina Wajid Government from the various Bangladeshi government institutions. The large number of resignations by the AL appointed heads of organisations and banks are resigning with lightning speed and are packing their bags to take first available flights to foreign destinations.
14. With the fleeing of Hasina Wajid, more than half of the police force also disappeared from the streets, fearing reprisal by the public for their atrocities and extra-judicial killings of political opponents of AL and illegal confinements of thousands of youths and activists. About 50% police stations across Bangladesh were rendered dysfunctional due to this reason in the first few days of fleeing of Hasina Wajid. Bangladesh government swiftly fanned out military and para-military troops to augment the police force at all police stations. It was being whispered that most of these police officers were those who had their loyalties to Mukti Bahini, AL or Indian proxies, and had been embedded into the security apparatus of Bangladesh. Subsequently a large number of these police officers returned to their duties in few days, while a sizeable number, allegedly those whose antecedents were doubtful, or were involved in crime or were cronies of AL, remain absconding. A large number of these absconding are believed to have been linked to the extrajudicial murders of a large number of Bangladeshi political activists, students opposed to the quota impositions, or simply supporters of the opposition parties. It is becoming evident that the large number of people inducted into the administrative services and security outfits through the highly controversial Quota system, Indian and AL trained militants, were inducted to capture these organisations, by using the cover of Mukti Bahini family members and exploiting their special Quotas for these recruitments. It is these cadres, who are being activated now, to create instability, and to once more conduct attacks against the nascent new regime. These absconding police force personnel are likely to remain a major challenge and security risk for the new government, since they clearly have misplaced loyalties, and are latent strong-arms of Al, or covert Indian sponsored local recruits.
15. India is knitting together a narrative that Bangladesh has undergone a Soft Islamic Revolution, that was backed by USA, since Hasina Wajid, being a staunch patriot, had refused to budge on the issue of St. Martin’s Island. Rumour Mills have joined churning out fake news and rumours to add impetuous to its narratives.
16. Hasina Wajid claims that USA was pressurising Bangladesh to allow it to build an Air base, to counter Chinese influence in the region, and particularly in Myanmar. Cashing on recent USA’s allegations of rigged Jan-2024 elections that were also Hasina Wajid’s January-2024 elections were not considered as fair by the international community, including USA, Haisna Wajid also alleged that USA was conspiring to force Bangladesh to become a Christian country calling it a ‘White Man’s Plot’. She explains that USA wants to build an airbase on this island to monitor Indian Ocean, Myanmar, China and India. It is however a known fact that it had been India all the time, to pressure Bangladesh in declaring the country as Secular, through constitutional amendment, and that the recent sweep in elections, with covert Indian intervention, were meant to move in this direction. Being located at the edge of Myanmar borders with Bangladesh, it is the gateway to safety for the fleeing Rohingyas. The island, also called Narikel Jinjira (Coconut Island) or Daruchini Dwip (Cinnamon Island), is a 3-sq km coral reef island, located 8-km and 9-km from Myanmar and Bangladesh mainland respectively, and was only in 1974 that it was handed over to Bangladesh and later in 2012, the final judgement by International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) confirming Bangladesh’s sovereignty over the island. Hasina Wajid had earlier focused on St martin’s Island during Khalida Zia’s rule, when she alleged that Khalida Zia was planning to hand over the island to USA, to garner USA’s political support to extend her rule. USA has been denying any interest in the island, whatsoever. Though, Hasina Wajid claims that USA was pressurising Bangladesh to allow it to build an Air base, to counter Chinese influence in the region, and particularly in Myanmar, besides American interest in changing Bangladesh’s Islamic identity to a Christian identity, but in face of the fact that she is a proven Indian puppet, it had been India all the time, to pressure Bangladesh in declaring the country as Secular, through constitutional amendment, and that the recent sweep in elections, ostensibly with covert Indian intervention, were meant to move in this direction. Also, India, not wanting USA to grab this strategic piece of land which has tremendous strategic value for India, and eyeing the island to develop its own strategic infrastructure against China and Myanmar, had been the primary force to bring this issue in debate, and to manipulate Bangladesh in taking it off the strategic menu for the time being. Any American strategic development of this area, besides all other aspects, would bring USA uncomfortably close to Indian coast, and would place all of India under close strategic surveillances. Potentially, and air base at the island could strategically dominate the Sittwe Port, overlook the maritime traffic passing through Malacca, and overview the MCEC in Myanmar. Also, with Rakhine state of Myanmar, only a few kilometres away, where intense low intensity conflict between Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs) and Myanmar Military is continuing, the island becomes more significant. Only recently, hundreds of fleeing Rohingya’s are reported to have been killed when they were trying to flee from Myanmar by crossing Naf River. According to unverified media reports, these Rohingyas, that included women and children were attacked by Dron and about 20-Artillery shells on 10-Aug-2024. The drone remains unidentified, while the Myanmar army has blamed Arakan Army for carrying out the attacks on these people, although AA refuted these allegations. Both sides are believed to be forcefully conscripting these Muslims to fight along with them. Since AA is mostly dominated by anti-Muslim Buddhists from Bamar community, the Rohingyas are reluctant to enter any resistance movement alongside with the. With increasing criticism of Myanmar military, more so due to rising Chinese influence, the island could become another centre of controversy in coming years. But the island has more to it. Being strategically located at the borders of Myanmar, and only 9-km from Coxs Bazar, where about a million Rohingyas are camped under strict Indian and Bangladeshi control, it constitutes as an ideal launching post for covert attacks against the Chinese interests in Myanmar. India, would therefore, would like to continue using it for this clandestine purpose through its proxies placed in Bangladesh. Being located close to the under-development port at Coxs Bazar by the Chinese, it would provide additional check-post for monitoring and dominating their future activities.
17. The fact that the Indian NSA had met Hasina Wajid at the tarmac upon her arrival in India after being unceremoniously sent out, and her later lodging in a ‘safe house’ belonging to the security establishment, instead of state guesthouses, is a signal that India considers her a strategic liability at the moment, and is not prepared to show their sympathy publicly towards her. Hasina Wajid has alluded that USA wanted her to give them rights over St. Martin’s Island, for construction an airbase, for surveillance over Myanmar and Indian Ocean. There has been no comment from the USA on this assertion by Hasina Wajid about USA’s demand for bases. The script of alleging USA for regime change, and its demand of having bases for its covert operations in foreign countries has been reverberating in the region for some time, where Iran, Pakistan, and now Bangladesh, have at one time or the other accused USA for this. It is quite baffling that while Hasina Wajid had been giving all priorities to India’s security matters, and had concluded land swap with India only a few years ago, while her father had given Tin Begha land to India, only to take it back on lease, which can be cancelled any time by India, leaving Bangladesh high and dry; this secretiveness about American Interest while USA remains the India’s most important strategic partner, does not add up. However, if USA did really want this island for its strategic use, then the ambiguity about its demands points towards Indian duplicity, who, with its hands on Bangladesh’s power levers, deliberately chose to avoid, even at the cost of sacrificing its important resource.
18. Bangladesh public is well aware of India’s deceptive and dismal record of making tall promises to engage his friends and allies offering them incentives of huge financial support, credit lines, etc., but once it ensnares these unsuspecting friends and foes alike, and then dragging its feet in order to prolong development of those projects and forcing them to further depend on India in return of strategic favours; the Bangladeshi public is unlikely to fall in this trap all over again. The cases of such deception and strategic trap-laying have been witnessed in case of Chabahar in Iran, the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project in Myanmar, in Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and this has been the case with Bangladesh. In Afghanistan India had carved out developments on highly inflated rates, which were only strategically favourable to India, rather than the peoples of Afghanistan. India had been arming the north alliance, providing protection through NDS, resettling, and relocating turned-around veteran militants from Syria and Iraq battlefields, who had been flown-in and settled into the northern areas. This had been a tested inexpensive way of waging warfare through hybrid means. India is financing these disruptive elements who are harbouring terrorists and militants, veterans of the Hybrid-Warfare in other theatres, and are cooling their heels in Afghanistan. India has been providing extensive covert support through logistics, financing, training, and intelligence to these groups while remaining in safe zones of Chabahar and Farkhor. It has been extending covert support through NDS and other organisations in the former Government of Afghanistan, while burrowing deeper in the Afghan landscape. It had been using its energies and resources, particularly NDS, to penetrate and harness the various terrorist groups in Afghanistan, and to acquire more direct control of these terrorist groups, who were expanding and in need of formal patronage. Using good-cop-bad-cop strategies in collaboration with the occupying forces, it made several inroads in the terrorist outfits, particularly the TTP. With the visible setbacks being faced by India, it is bound to utilize the services of its proxies in more aggressive manner, escalating the already on-going Hybrid-Warfare, that is encompassing the region.
    The author is former Director General, Intelligence Bureau