New Delhi, October 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is seeking to intensify its activities along India’s eastern frontier and is working to bring three Bangladesh-based terror groups under a common organisational framework, according to intelligence inputs cited in a report.
The groups identified in the report are Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and Neo-JMB. While the groups have operated independently and share a radical ideology, intelligence officials cited in the report said their fragmented structure has limited their ability to undertake larger operations.
According to the inputs, the ISI is seeking to address these divisions and build the groups’ capabilities along the lines of Pakistan-based terror outfits such as Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which have been linked to several attacks in India.
An Intelligence Bureau official said differences and overlapping areas of activity among the Bangladesh-based groups had contributed to operational friction. The official said the ISI believes bringing them under a common umbrella could strengthen their organisational capabilities.
The report said the ISI is also drawing on its experience of coordinating different Pakistan-based groups. Intelligence inputs indicate that operatives belonging to LeT, JeM and Hizbul Mujahideen have been operating in coordination since Operation Sindoor last year.
The proposed consolidation of the Bangladesh-based groups is linked to a 2019 proposal attributed to JMB leader Salehuddin Saleh, who had suggested merging JMB, ABT and Neo-JMB to strengthen their collective position.
However, differences remain, particularly with Neo-JMB, which emerged following a split within JMB. Officials attributed the division to leadership disputes, ideological differences and competing affiliations with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
The ISI is reportedly attempting to bridge those differences and persuade the leaderships of the three groups to work together. Previous efforts by Saleh to bring the factions together had not achieved a complete merger.
Security officials cited in the report warned that any successful consolidation could create additional challenges for Indian agencies monitoring the country’s eastern border, particularly in West Bengal and the northeastern states.
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