The attempted sabotage of Bangladesh’s Durga Puja celebrations on 1 October 2025 is far more than an isolated act of mischief. According to Bangladesh’s Home Affairs Adviser, Lt Gen (retired) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, it was a deliberate, externally backed effort to destabilise the nation’s social harmony. Evidence points to India’s involvement, continuing a sophisticated campaign of hybrid warfare that has intensified since the fall of the Awami League regime in August 2024. This campaign, blending political interference, religious exploitation, infiltration, and psychological operations, is designed to erode Bangladesh’s unity and sovereignty without direct military confrontation. The attack on Durga Puja — a pillar of Bangladesh’s pluralistic identity — is a clear signal that this hybrid war has entered a dangerous new phase.
Alleged External Interference in Bangladesh’s Durga Puja
On 1 October 2025, during a visit to a Puja mandap in Ichhapura, Sirajdikhan, Munshiganj, Bangladesh’s Home Affairs Adviser, Lt Gen (retired) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, revealed that certain miscreants, supported by a neighbouring country, had attempted to disrupt the Durga Puja celebrations. He stressed that these efforts failed due to the unity and vigilance of the Bangladeshi people.
While the adviser did not explicitly name the country, the facts point decisively towards India, given the longstanding evidence of covert destabilisation operations directed at Bangladesh since the fall of the Awami League regime.
Rapid Action Battalion Director-General AKM Shahidur Rahman confirmed that at least 49 out of some 35,000 Puja mandaps across Bangladesh were targeted for sabotage this year. He stated that “apart from a few isolated incidents, Durga Puja celebrations are proceeding smoothly.”
Shahidur underlined that strict legal action has been taken in every case, with over 19 saboteurs arrested so far. Praising the unity of the nation, he said: “This is a Bangladesh of harmony. It is a country for people of all religions, not just one. We all celebrate religious festivals with equal rights, helping one another.”
His statement highlighted the collaborative effort of the administration, law-enforcing agencies, local politicians, and community leaders in ensuring peace and security during the festival season. He expressed hope that future festivals would be celebrated freely, without threats — calling it the “true joy of the nation.”
Background: India’s Hybrid Warfare Against Bangladesh
Since the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, Bangladesh has witnessed a sustained and escalating campaign of hybrid warfare linked to India. The political upheaval that followed — including the banning of the Awami League and the formation of a transitional government — has been accompanied by a clear intensification of covert interference operations.
Evidence suggests that India has systematically leveraged right-wing extremist networks and religious organisations such as ISKCON, along with other cultural fronts, to foment unrest in Bangladesh. Operating under the guise of cultural and religious outreach, these groups have sought to influence public sentiment and deepen communal divisions, particularly during major Hindu festivals such as Durga Puja.
The targeting of Durga Puja — one of Bangladesh’s most important religious festivals — is a deliberate tactic in a broader hybrid warfare doctrine that blends psychological operations, cultural influence, infiltration, and proxy mobilisation. This is not random. It is a targeted assault on Bangladesh’s pluralistic fabric and social cohesion.
The Stakes for Bangladesh
Bangladesh is facing a deliberate, sophisticated campaign designed to erode its national cohesion and sovereignty. This is not merely political rivalry; it is a multi-vector operation exploiting religious sensitivities, provoking unrest, and eroding trust between communities.
The recent attempt to disrupt Durga Puja is a stark reminder of this threat. It strikes at the heart of Bangladesh’s pluralistic identity and tests the resilience of its social harmony. The collective resistance of the people is commendable, but it must be matched by equally decisive state action.
Annex: Documented Cases of Indian‑Backed Interference in Bangladesh Since 2024
1. Post‑Awami League Regime Change – Covert Political Support
Following the fall of the Awami League in August 2024, credible reports indicated that senior Awami League leaders in exile received safe haven and logistical support from Indian territory to coordinate political agitation inside Bangladesh.
2. Use of Religious and Cultural Organisations
Right‑wing extremist groups in India — including ISKCON and similar cultural fronts — have expanded their outreach in Bangladesh since late 2024, funding and organising religious events with political undertones. These activities target Hindu communities and seek to exacerbate communal fault lines.
3. Infiltration and Psychological Operations
Bangladesh’s intelligence services have recorded infiltration by individuals linked to Indian extremist networks who use social media, misinformation campaigns, and provocative religious content to incite unrest and undermine unity.
4. Border‑Based Subversive Activities
Several incidents along the Bangladesh–India border involved arrests of militants and agents linked to Indian networks attempting to smuggle arms, explosives, and subversive materials into Bangladesh, consistent with hybrid warfare tactics.
5. Disruption of Religious Festivals
Targeted attempts to sabotage major religious gatherings — such as the recent Durga Puja disruption — reflect a deliberate strategy to provoke communal tension and test the resilience of Bangladesh’s law‑and‑order apparatus. The targeting of 49 mandaps nationwide this year underlines the systematic nature of these efforts.
6. Economic and Infrastructure Leverage
India has also sought to use economic influence and cross‑border infrastructure projects to exert covert political leverage in border areas of Bangladesh. Certain projects have been alleged to carry conditions that allow indirect influence over local affairs.
Conclusion
If substantiated, the recent attempts to destabilise Durga Puja are not isolated incidents but part of a far‑larger, well‑orchestrated hybrid warfare campaign by India against Bangladesh. This campaign blends political interference, religious exploitation, infiltration, psychological operations, and economic leverage, all designed to weaken Bangladesh’s sovereignty and disrupt its internal harmony.
Bangladesh must treat these developments with utmost seriousness. Vigilance, counter‑intelligence, robust border security, and a clear national strategy are essential. The people’s collective resistance must be supported by a decisive state response — uncompromising in defending national integrity, unity, and sovereignty.
Bangladesh’s response to this threat will define not just its present stability but the future of its independence and democratic resilience.
Amit Bhattacharya is a leading defence procurement expert with deep expertise in modern weapon systems and military hardware acquisition. Over more than a decade, he has collaborated with top defence contractors and strategic research institutions, delivering incisive analysis on procurement frameworks, capability development, and technology integration for armed forces worldwide. Amit bridges the gap between operational requirements and industrial capacity, providing authoritative evaluations of modernisation programmes, defence budgets, and acquisition reforms in both established and emerging defence markets. He leads the Defence Procurement and Defence Industry sections at BDMilitary, shaping strategic discourse on defence innovation. Amit earned his Master of Policy and Governance (MPAG) from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, complementing his practical expertise with advanced policy and governance insight.
