ISI Reportedly Seeks Merger of Bangladesh-Based Terror Groups to Expand Operations

The groups identified are Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and Neo-JMB. According to officials, each group has its own capabilities but lacks the strength and coordination required for large-scale operations.

Officials said the ISI wants the three organisations to develop capabilities similar to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which have been involved in major terror attacks in India.

An Intelligence Bureau official said the Bangladesh-based groups share a radical ideology but have struggled to coordinate because of overlapping areas of operation. According to the official, this has resulted in confusion and occasional friction between the groups, limiting their ability to expand their activities.

The ISI is therefore reportedly pushing for greater coordination and potentially a merger so that the groups can function under a common structure.

Officials cited in the report said Pakistan has previously sought coordination between JeM and LeT, with their activities generally kept within separate operational spheres. The report also claimed that following Operation Sindoor, cadres associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen operated together from launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

For Bangladesh, the ISI is reportedly revisiting a proposal made in 2019 by JMB leader Salehuddin Saleh, who had advocated bringing JMB, ABT and Neo-JMB together into a single faction.

According to officials, ABT could be open to closer cooperation with JMB, while resistance is expected from Neo-JMB, which emerged after a split within JMB.

The division was reportedly linked to disputes over leadership and ideology, as well as differences over the growing influence of the Islamic State. While JMB had been associated with Al-Qaeda, a faction within the organisation reportedly became more inclined towards the Islamic State.

Officials said the ISI has been attempting to bridge these differences, arguing that the failure of any one group to participate could undermine the effectiveness of the proposed arrangement.

Earlier efforts by Salehuddin Saleh to unite the groups reportedly did not succeed. Intelligence officials now claim that the ISI has become more directly involved and is engaging with the leadership of the organisations to push the merger proposal.

Officials warned that if the three groups were successfully brought together, security agencies could face additional challenges along India's eastern border, particularly in monitoring and preventing potential cross-border militant activity.