Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher, a senior leader of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its International Affairs Secretary, has triggered outrage with a provocative speech delivered in New York City. Taher, a former Member of Parliament from Comilla-12 (2001–2006) and currently nayeb-e-ameer of the Islamist party, openly called for militant mobilization against India, invoking the controversial concept of Ghazwa-e-Hind.
In the viral video, Taher declared: “At least five million of our youth will fight for independence against India.” He went on to suggest that an armed confrontation with India would vindicate Jamaat-e-Islami’s controversial role during the 1971 Liberation War.
“Many say there is a risk of an attack from India if Jamaat comes to power. I would say, we are praying that happens. If India enters Bangladesh, the bad name imposed on us in 1971 will be wiped off. We shall get a chance to prove ourselves as true freedom fighters,” he said.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher, in a video from New York, openly threatens a strong guerrilla war & executing ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’ against India.
— OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) September 30, 2025
“At least five million of our youth will fight for independence against India," Taher said. pic.twitter.com/9mtUNsjQ5w
Taher further outlined an alarming strategy, stating that while one section of Jamaat’s youth would engage in guerrilla warfare inside Bangladesh, the rest would infiltrate into Indian territory to execute the so-called Ghazwa-e-Hind, an apocalyptic Islamist fantasy often invoked by extremist groups.
Taher’s comments only add fuel to the growing animosity towards India following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been sheltering across the border ever since Islamist protesters toppled her government and installed Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus in power. Since Islamists took control of Bangladesh, minorities, especially Hindus, are living under a constant fear of persecution, with reports of attacks against them and their places of worship being increasingly common.
His remarks strike a chord with Islamist sections that see India as complicit in sheltering Hasina, and by invoking armed struggle, Taher is attempting to weaponize that hostility into a narrative of resistance, one that risks further destabilising the country and dragging India into an endless cycle of violent conflict.
