Hizb-ut-Tahrir Resurfaces in Bangladesh, Begins Anti-India Propaganda Campaign

Banned Islamist Group Resurges in Bangladesh Following Hasina’s Ouster

The banned Islamist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) has reemerged openly in Bangladesh following the July 2024 ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, signaling a significant shift in the political landscape under the US-backed interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.

After operating underground since its 2009 ban, the group has grown increasingly vocal, staging high-visibility events and releasing propaganda that calls for action against India and advocates for Islamic rule in Bangladesh. Security analysts view this resurgence as evidence of newfound confidence and possible informal patronage from elements within Dhaka’s political and bureaucratic establishment.

In September 2025, HuT organized an online political conference under the provocative banner “Bangladesh 2.0: Subservience or Liberation?” The event, livestreamed on YouTube in both Bengali and English, represented the group’s most public attempt to reclaim ideological space in post-Hasina Bangladesh.

The conference focused on three key themes: alleged interference by the US, UK, and India in the July 2024 transition; HuT’s blueprint for rejecting “secular-capitalist” governance; and strategies for transforming the uprising into what the organization describes as a “comprehensive change of the state.”

This public messaging campaign marks a strategic departure from HuT’s previous operations. The deliberate use of Bengali on official platforms and the decision to conduct public livestreams indicate the group is not merely communicating with external supporters but actively rebuilding domestic networks. The absence of state intervention against these activities suggests HuT is benefiting from a more permissive political environment.

The September conference followed a more aggressive statement released on December 6, 2024, which called for Bangladesh to “declare India an enemy state.” The document alleged that New Delhi was actively destabilizing Bangladesh after Hasina’s fall and compared India’s treatment of Muslims to Israel’s actions in Palestine.

The statement made specific accusations against India, including claims that it engineered the 2009 “Pilkhana Conspiracy” with Hasina to weaken Bangladesh’s military. It also criticized India’s Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and characterized Hindu organizations, specifically naming ISKCON, as proxies for Indian communal policies.

Most concerning to regional security experts was the explicit appeal to the Bangladesh military to “hand over power to establish a caliphate.” Drawing on the Islamic concept of nusrah (elite or military support), HuT argued that military-assisted regime change is legitimate and suggested that a caliphate would align Bangladesh with neighboring Muslim countries, including nuclear-armed Pakistan, to resist India and Western interests.

“This represents a dangerous escalation in HuT’s rhetoric,” said a South Asian security analyst who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject. “They’re no longer just preaching ideology but actively calling for military intervention and a fundamental restructuring of the Bangladeshi state.”

Hizb ut-Tahrir, meaning “Party of Liberation,” is an international pan-Islamist political organization that seeks to reestablish the Islamic Caliphate to unite Muslims worldwide and implement Sharia law. The group is banned in numerous countries including China, Russia, Pakistan, India, Germany, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and most Arab nations.

In Bangladesh, the organization was outlawed in 2009 under anti-terrorism laws. During Hasina’s tenure, HuT members faced constant surveillance and frequent arrests, limiting their operational capacity. The current resurgence suggests that parts of the interim administration may be willing to tolerate Islamist activism as a counterbalance to secular or nationalist political forces.

The group’s recent communications have shifted from its earlier campus-focused recruitment to explicitly targeting politicians, journalists, intellectuals, and young people. By co-opting the “Bangladesh 2.0” slogan and framing the July 2024 events as an unfinished uprising, HuT positions itself as the corrective force to what it portrays as a compromised interim government.

As Bangladesh continues to navigate political uncertainty, the growing visibility of banned extremist groups like HuT raises serious concerns about regional stability and the future trajectory of Bangladesh’s governance model.