Durga Puja Sabotage: Unmasking India’s Covert Hybrid War Against Bangladesh

Reading Time: 4 minutes 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