Major (sacked) Ziaul Huq Zia, a notorious Al Qaeda-linked terrorist and one of the US State Department’s most wanted fugitives, has openly called for establishing offices of insurgent groups from Manipur, Khalistan, and Kashmir inside Bangladesh. Zia, who is believed to have secretly returned to Bangladesh following last year’s jihadist-backed coup, made the inciting statement in a Facebook post.

He wrote in Bengali:

“An Awami League office has been opened in Kolkata! Then why shouldn’t offices of pro-independence groups from Manipur, Khalistan, and Kashmir be opened in this country? We need to play a bit more robustly! Just allow one office to open — India will be forced to apologize and return all the goons!”

In another post, directly addressing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Zia warned:

“Mamata-di, do you think the people in the Kolkata Awami League office will be on your side? What guarantee is there that they will not conspire against you in alliance with the BJP in the future? You do whatever you think is right! But don’t blame us later — we have already warned you!”

Screengrab of Facebook posts of Al Qaeda-linked Most Wanted terrorist with $5 million US bounty

The US State Department has long listed Ziaul Huq Zia among its most wanted terrorists, offering a US$5 million reward for information leading to his capture, in connection with the 2015 murder of Bangladeshi-American writer Avijit Roy and the attack on Rafida Bonya Ahmed.

Zia fled Bangladesh in 2013 after a failed coup attempt, later finding refuge under the protection of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Reports indicate he used a Pakistani passport to return to Bangladesh after the Yunus administration lifted mandatory security clearance requirements for Pakistani nationals applying for visas.

On December 29, 2024, Zia filed formal applications seeking acquittal from all charges and removal from the “Most Wanted” list. His lawyer, M. Sarwar Hossain, submitted petitions to the Law Ministry, Home Ministry, and Inspector General of Police, urging withdrawal of the death penalty sentences he faces in three separate cases and the dismissal of four additional ongoing trials.

The Yunus administration has previously faced sharp criticism for exonerating and releasing hardline Islamist figures, including Jashimuddin Rahmani, leader of the banned Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). Following his release, Rahmani openly called for waging jihad in India and implementing the “Ghazwa-e-Hind” doctrine.

Security analysts warn that since his suspected return, Ziaul Huq Zia has been working to establish terrorist sleeper cells across multiple regions in India, a move that poses a grave threat to regional stability.

The recent activities and public statements of Ziaul Huq Zia not only signal a dangerous escalation in extremist rhetoric but also highlight the alarming policy shifts of the Yunus administration, which appear to embolden Islamist militants. With his history of military insubordination, terrorist plots, and cross-border incitement, Zia’s presence in Bangladesh – coupled with his calls to destabilize India – is a matter that demands urgent international attention. Failure to act could see South Asia descend into a renewed era of cross-border militancy and extremist violence.

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