Bangladesh’s Anti-India Sentiment: Examining a Troubling Trend

In a politically fragile Bangladesh, disinformation has emerged as one of the most potent tools for manipulating public opinion, with far-reaching consequences for regional stability and minority communities. The December 2025 murder of Islamist student leader Osman Hadi exemplifies how an unsolved crime transformed into a geopolitical flashpoint that severely strained India-Bangladesh relations.

The incident unfolded against the backdrop of Bangladesh’s post-2024 political landscape, where Islamist organizations have gained significant ground. Groups including Jamaat-e-Islami, Ansar al-Islam, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, and Hefazat-e-Islam have become increasingly assertive, capitalizing on political uncertainty. Security analysts note that Pakistan’s military establishment and its intelligence wing, the ISI, have simultaneously expanded influence operations inside Bangladesh.

Following Hadi’s murder on December 12, Bangladesh’s interim administration, led by Muhammad Yunus, quickly suggested the perpetrators had fled to India—despite the absence of arrests, forensic evidence, or public intelligence reports. The Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry summoned India’s High Commissioner, ostensibly seeking cooperation to prevent suspects from crossing the border, while officials increasingly implied that India might be harboring the attackers.

Indian authorities promptly rejected these allegations. Law enforcement agencies in India clarified that no suspects were in custody and no evidence supported Dhaka’s claims. Nevertheless, the narrative persisted and intensified.

A journalist affiliated with Al Jazeera’s i-Unit claimed that Faisal Karim Masud, described as Hadi’s killer, had crossed into India and taken refuge in Guwahati, Assam. To bolster this claim, a photograph allegedly showing Masud with an accomplice circulated widely, presented as evidence obtained from intercepted mobile phones.

The consequences were immediate and severe. Hindu communities across Bangladesh faced renewed intimidation and violence, while Indian diplomatic missions became targets of mob aggression. The pattern mirrored previous instances of externalized blame inflaming emotions, ultimately empowering Islamist street movements under the guise of righteous outrage.

Subsequent investigation revealed that the images and video circulated as evidence were generated using deepfake technology. The footage was aggressively promoted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by an account named “Pakistan Defence,” falsely claiming that Al Jazeera had confirmed Indian involvement in Hadi’s killing.

The disinformation campaign expanded when Times of Islamabad, an obscure website, published propaganda pieces on December 22 alleging a “confirmed role” of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in the assassination. These narratives relied entirely on conjecture and the unverified claim about the killers fleeing to India, bearing the hallmarks of a coordinated influence operation.

The fabricated narrative began unraveling on December 30 when Masud, previously portrayed as Hadi’s killer, released a video statement asserting he had fled Bangladesh for Dubai, not India. He categorically denied involvement in the murder, claiming that Jamaat-Shibir operatives were responsible. An image of Masud’s UAE visa later emerged, further discrediting the “India escape” theory.

Within 24 hours, Masud released a second video from Dubai, stating unequivocally: “I have not in any way, initially or later, been involved. This is completely false.” He described the accusations against him as a “witch hunt” undertaken to target him personally.

Intelligence sources indicate the disinformation blueprint originated from the ISI’s “Dhaka Cell.” Following the murder, a coordinated campaign falsely claimed the killers had fled to India, then to Meghalaya’s Garo Hills, even circulating deepfake images labeled as depicting Hadi’s killers.

Security experts note that this episode aligns with a broader pattern of influence operations linked to Pakistan’s intelligence services. By redirecting blame outward, Islamist networks successfully deflected scrutiny while mobilizing supporters and strengthening their political leverage.

The Osman Hadi case highlights how disinformation, when amplified by political interests, can destabilize societies and undermine accountability mechanisms. For Bangladesh, the challenge extends beyond identifying the true perpetrators to resisting narratives that erode pluralism and national cohesion. For the broader South Asian region, it serves as a stark reminder that in an era of weaponized information, truth often becomes the first casualty of geopolitical maneuvering.