How Bangladesh Is Using Bengal's Anti-Waqf Bill Violence Against India: Exclusive From Intel Sources
Intelligence sources allege groups such as the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) are exploiting the bill to stoke anti-India sentiment
Bangladeshi media and social media platforms have been projecting the Waqf (Amendment) Bill as a symbol of India’s Hindu nationalist agenda, top intelligence sources said, adding that it is a sign of the neighbouring country’s hand in the West Bengal riots.
“They have been alleging that the bill undermines Muslim autonomy and violates constitutional protections for minority institutions. They are spreading it like an anti-Muslim agenda of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government," sources said.
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Outlets such as the Daily Observer and New Age claim the bill enables state interference in Muslim religious affairs by allowing non-Muslims into Waqf governance bodies, which they argue violates Article 26 of India’s Constitution (right to manage religious institutions).
“The Bangladeshi media is comparing the bill to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the BJP’s Hindutva-driven policies, terming it as part of a broader pattern of marginalising Muslims," sources said.
Bengal govt submits its report on Murshidabad to Calcutta HC, 274 persons arrested so far, 60 FIRS registered@akankshaswarups | #MurshidabadViolence #MurshidabadRiots #BengalViolence pic.twitter.com/oTndVbfSzQ— News18 (@CNNnews18) April 18, 2025
THE CLAIMS IN BANGLADESHI MEDIA
Here’s how Bangladeshi media is covering the Bengal violence according to intelligence sources:
- Bangladesh’s far-right Islamist groups such as Khilafat Majlis have accused the BJP of using the bill to legalise encroachment on Waqf properties for temple construction, amplifying claims of Hindu supremacy.
- Bangladeshi narratives are stressing on the internal opposition to the bill, particularly from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, to project India as politically fractured.
- The media has been highlighting her remarks, such as questioning why Muslims are targeted and accusing the BJP of bypassing state consultations, to showcase discord between West Bengal and the central government.
- Outlets such as Prothom Alo have called the bill an attack on India’s federal structure.Bangladeshi media has strategically connected the Waqf Bill to communal violence in India and cross-border tensions.
- Reports allege that protests against the bill in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district were fuelled by Hindu nationalist aggression, with Bangladeshi outlets blaming Indian authorities for failing to protect Muslims.
- Social media campaigns such as #BengalBurning have been amplifying claims of Hindu-majority persecution of Muslims, pushing solidarity among Bengali-speaking Muslims in Bangladesh and India.
- Bangladeshi social media users and groups have employed tactics similar to the 2019 CAA protests to inflame tensions.
- Toolkit-based protests are pushed. Encrypted apps like Telegram and WhatsApp coordinate protests. They share doctored videos falsely claiming police firing on worshippers and circulate incendiary slogans like ‘Islam khatre mein hai [Islam is in danger]’.
BANGLADESH’S STANCE
Intelligence sources allege groups such as the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) are exploiting the bill to stoke anti-India sentiment.
Some Bangladeshi activists are amplifying narratives through global media. By condemning the bill as “anti-minority", Bangladesh is positioning itself as a defender of Muslim rights.
Amplifying West Bengal’s dissent undermines India’s unity, legitimising Bangladesh’s resistance to perceived Indian dominance in regional affairs, said sources, adding the interim government is using anti-India rhetoric to divert attention from domestic crises such as economic instability and consolidate support among Islamist factions.
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