Infiltration of Hamas into Bangladesh and Pakistan part of plan to expand regional, global terror networks

Dhaka, Feb 7 (IANS) Israel's Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar has raised serious concerns over Hamas' growing engagement in South Asia - especially with local Islamist groups in Bangladesh and Pakistan - as part of the terror organisation's broader strategy to expand its regional and global networks.

“By establishing contacts and operations beyond Gaza, including through senior Hamas leaders such as Sheikh Khaled Quddumi and Khaled Mashal, Hamas aims to secure funding, ideological support, and logistical channels for its activities," the diplomat told Bangladesh's weekly Blitz media outlet in an interview.

“This expansion also allows it to cultivate alliances with local Islamist groups, increasing its influence and operational reach across South Asia,” he stated.

He further stressed that this expansion allows Hamas to cultivate alliances with local Islamist groups, increasing its influence and operational reach across South Asia.

On Pakistan's involvement with the militant group as part of a broader strategic doctrine centred on jihadist proxies, Azar warned that such relation poses a threat to the country itself.

“Continued patronage of extremist groups, whether Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or others, carries serious long-term risks for any country. History shows that networks cultivated abroad can eventually turn inward, radicalizing populations, undermining state institutions, and creating internal security challenges,” he opined.

Incidentally, a senior investigative journalist from Bangladesh had earlier this month flagged the arrival of four Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives from Karachi to Dhaka on Biman flight BG-342.

The allegation was made by Sahidul Hasan Khokon, who described the development as exposing what he termed the Muhammad Yunus-led interim regime’s dangerous facilitation of terrorist infiltration into Bangladesh and its alleged pro-Islamist and Pakistan-appeasing approach, the local media reported.

This came amidst Bangladesh resuming direct flights to and from Pakistan, raising security concerns. Critics warn of lax border controls, state tolerance for militants, and potential threats to India’s eastern borders.

In an article published in July last year, the Blitz editor, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, had himself noted that on September 7, 2024, a local Islamist group in Bangladesh reportedly hosted senior Hamas figures, including Sheikh Khaled Quddumi and Khaled Mashal.

Elaborating on such engagements of terror leaders in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan, Israeli Ambassador Reuven Azar mentioned the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7, 2023, when it launched a devastating attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of over 1,200 people. He also connected it to the Pahalgam terror attack over style and execution.

“Alarmingly, the radical Islamists view the atrocious 7th of October terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas as an inspiration. They’d like to imitate the tactics and export them to other parts of the world. What we’ve underwent in 2023 was imitated in Pahalgam and will spread to other places. That’s why Hamas leaders are being invited and shamelessly celebrated. The international community should be united in isolating those who support or sponsor terrorism,” he said.

Ambassador Reuven Azar also shared in the Blitz interview that Israel values its growing strategic cooperation with India “because both countries face complex security challenges which require proactive responses”. The two nations cooperate in areas such as counterterrorism, intelligence sharing, and defence technology, among others.

“Our partnership has matured into a robust framework that includes formal defence agreements, joint dialogues on shared challenges, and collaboration on advanced technology and methodology, reflecting deep mutual trust and practical benefits for both sides,” he said.

“This cooperation enhances our respective abilities to detect and prevent threats, strengthens our defence industries through co‑development and co‑production of crucial systems, and builds resilience against emerging security risks,” the Ambassador said.

“As partners, India and Israel are better positioned to protect their citizens and contribute to a more stable region through sustained engagement and shared expertise,” he added.

He also stressed that the challenge posed by transnational networks linked to the Muslim Brotherhood or its ideological offshoots, such as Jamaat-e-Islami, is real and cannot be ignored.

According to him, these groups often operate across borders, influencing communities, funding extremist activities, or providing ideological support to militant actors.

--IANS

jb/as