China, ISI orchestrated trouble to install a regime inimical to India: Intel officials

NEW DELHI, Aug 6
Intelligence establishment sees the hand of Pakistan's external intelligence agency, ISI and its Chinese patron in escalating the protests and subversion that forced Sheikh Hasina to flee the country.
Information reaching here point to the not-so-subtle hand of Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), the student wing of hardline Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh which is known for its anti-India stance, in inflaming the streets, and turning protest over quotas into a determined effort to replace Hasina with a regime that is friendly to Pakistan and China and hospitable for the anti-India terror groups which would work out of Bangladesh before the crack down ordered by the ousted Awami League Govt.
The intelligence inputs alluded to meticulous planning undertaken by ICS members several months prior, aimed at instigating widespread violence across the Nation. "The ISI-backed Jamaat-e-Islami had received substantial financial backing earlier this year to destabilise the Sheikh Hasina Govt. A significant portion of this funding is believed to have originated from Chinese entities operating in Pakistan," an official disclosed.
Although Hasina tried to keep China in good humour, she was sensitive also to India's interests-an even-handendess which was not to China's pleasing.
Interestingly, many leading figures of the Islamic student outfit managed to charm the western-affiliated NGOs by using jargon of democracy and rights.
The ICS has been under the surveillance of Indian intelligence agencies for an extended period, following the emergence of its active involvement in anti-India activities, including the propagation of a jihadist agenda in Indian territories adjacent to Bangladesh. The ICS also operates in close coordination with the ISI-backed outfit, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al- Islami (HuJI), a Pakistan-based Deobandi terrorist group with an affiliate in Bangladesh. There exists visual evidence of ICS members undergoing training in Afghanistan and Pakistan. "The ultimate objective of Jamaat or ICS is to establish a Taliban-type Govt in Bangladesh, and the ISI has been assuring them of their support in achieving this goal. Their proximity became flagrant in the wake of the strengthening ties between the Indian and Bangladeshi Governments," an intelligence officer remarked.
The support from the China's Ministry of State and Security is also suspected to have extended a helping hand as Beijing has been wary of Hasina's 'balancing act' in its dealings with India and China. A Govt in Dhaka over which Pakistan has a leverage will surely better serve Beijing's interests better, said an intelligence source.
In any case, MSS has lately been more proactive. "An example of this is a propaganda video recently circulated by the MSS in China, warning of 'foreign spies being everywhere'. This was highly uncharacteristic of the MSS," the officer added.
TNN