Radical Rule Book in Bangladesh Labels Cooperation with India as ‘Betrayal’

December 24, 2025

New Delhi: India-Bangladesh relations, already strained since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, have now deepened. Violence targeting the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh over the past week has raised serious concerns. India has lodged a strong protest following these incidents, as well as attacks on Indian missions.

Indian intelligence agencies say that this violence did not erupt suddenly but is the result of a conspiracy by ISI-backed radical elements who aim to harm India-Bangladesh relations.

ISI-backed online campaign inciting hatred

According to Indian agencies, an organized and sustained campaign on social media is preventing the violence from abating. After the shooting of two student leaders, radical channels capitalized on the incident and turned it into an anti-India campaign.

From the murder of student leaders to the floods in Bangladesh, a narrative was created blaming India for every crisis. India is even being blamed for the country’s political instability on social media.

An official stated that the ISI has assigned radical elements associated with Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) to carry out this campaign. During the floods, claims were spread that India deliberately caused damage to Bangladesh by releasing water, which incited a large number of people against India.

Conspiracy Narrative After Student Leader’s Murder

Bangladeshi investigative agencies suspect that individuals associated with the Awami League may have been involved in the murder of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi. However, the online propaganda focused entirely on the narrative that India was protecting Sheikh Hasina.

Indian agencies have also intercepted content that makes the conspiracy claim that Indian agencies aided the Awami League in orchestrating the murder. Officials say this false propaganda has targeted Indian interests and minority communities.

People are being instructed using a radical ‘rule book’

The most serious revelation is that ISI-backed elements have prepared a ‘rule book’ that is being circulated among the public. It labels any cooperation with India as treason and calls for targeting those who do not follow it.

This rule book states that India should be blamed for every crisis and that those who oppose India are true patriots. This content is being widely spread on platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram, and Threads.

Inflammatory claims are also being made on social media about India’s alleged electoral interference and the northeastern states. Claims such as the separation of the ‘Seven Sisters’ have also surfaced, which Indian officials have termed a Pakistan-sponsored conspiracy.

Intelligence sources say that many of these social media accounts are being operated outside Bangladesh, particularly from Pakistan and the Gulf countries. These activities are controlled by the Karachi-based ISI’s online propaganda unit, which has previously been involved in spreading fake messages and honeytraps in India.

Experts believe this is an attempt to provoke India and create an anti-India atmosphere in Bangladesh. India will have to maintain a very cautious diplomatic balance ahead of the February elections.

However, officials are concerned that even if the diplomatic situation improves, the continued spread of false narratives is rapidly changing public perception. One official said that the ISI wants to make Bangladesh like Pakistan in terms of anti-India sentiment, but better discretion is needed.