Bangladesh: Former Awami League MP Bahauddin Nasim alleges ISI presence, growing ties with Pakistan

Former Awami League MP Bahauddin Nasim on Saturday raised serious allegations regarding the presence of Pakistans intelligence agency in Bangladesh and accused the interim administration of allowing foreign influence to expand within the countrySpeaking from an undisclosed location to ANI Nasim claimed that senior officials linked to Pakistans military intelligence had recently visited Bangladesh He said The ISIs secondincommand had visited Dhaka The Generals from the Pakistan army had been frequenting DhakaNasim alleged that Pakistans InterServices Intelligence ISI has a longstanding reputation internationally for supporting militant groups through shelter training and financial assistance particularly across parts of South and Southeast Asia According to him such activities were effectively blocked during the tenure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when Bangladesh maintained internal security communal harmony and a secular democratic characterThis is nothing new However during the tenure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina such evil forces had no opportunity to enter Bangladesh and Bangladesh was a peaceful country Bangladesh was governed as a secular state rich in democratic and communal harmony where there was a genuine sense of amity between Hindus and Muslims This is the tradition and continuity of the Bengali people he saidHe said that under the current interim administration which he described as illegitimate individuals he identified as collaborators of the former Pakistani occupation forces have gained influence within and outside state institutions Nowfel further alleged that Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus had independently expanded communication with Pakistani authorities at multiple levelsSince the monstrous group of terrorists who designed the overthrow of the government and seized state power came into power we have seen that those whom we consider the Pakistani occupation forces and their collaborators are now roaming freely inside and outside the countrys power structure Under their influence Muhammad Yunus has increased his ties with Pakistan on his own initiative he saidCiting recent developments the Awami League leader pointed to direct commercial shipping between Karachi and Chittagong port claiming that such trade had not occurred in Bangladesh for more than five decades He argued that these developments signal a shift in foreign relations that coincides with the present interim governments tenureHe has communicated with various levels of the Pakistani government and we have seen that ships from Karachi have directly arrived at Chittagong port in Bangladesh for commercial purposes This kind of direct trade has not happened in Bangladesh in the last 54 years But this is happening during the tenure of this interim illegal government Not only that military and government officials and various Pakistani intelligence agencies including the ISI have been seen roaming around in Bangladesh They have been seen moving freely in important strategic locations and sensitive areas that the state carefully monitors for security reasons he saidNasim also alleged increased movement of Pakistani military officials and intelligence operatives across Bangladesh including in areas considered strategically sensitive He claimed that senior ISI officials may have established operational bases inside the country and warned that their presence could contribute to the spread of militant activities through financing arms supply and trainingIt has also been heard that highranking ISI officials have established a base in Bangladesh And wherever these ISI agents go they further institutionalise terrorism by providing training and encouraging militants in various ways supplying them with money training weapons and ammunition and engaging in spreading terrorism throughout the country and the world he saidHe said public opposition to any foreign intelligence presence is growing adding that citizens are protesting what they see as a threat to national sovereignty and security The Awami League he added strongly condemns any such activities and calls for immediate action to protect Bangladeshs independence and stabilityThe presence of such a clandestine terrorist organisation in Bangladesh has become a daily occurrence The people of Bangladesh do not want the presence of ISI agents in Bangladesh they protest against it and strongly condemn it and we also protest and strongly condemn it he concldedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever