Bangladesh Unrest: Agencies Warn Rohingya Networks Being Used To Push Kashmir Propaganda In India | Exclusive

Last Updated:December 22, 2025, 10:03 IST

Officials say the effort goes beyond illegal migration & is aimed at reframing Kashmir as the central symbol of Muslim persecution, using Rohingya displacement as an emotive tool

Agencies estimate that around 30,000-40,000 Rohingyas are already present in India. (AP)

Indian security agencies have flagged what they describe as a renewed and coordinated attempt to push Rohingya refugees into India, exploiting the ongoing political unrest and weakened law-and-order situation in Bangladesh. CNN-News18 has learnt from official assessments that hostile actors are seeking to leverage the humanitarian crisis to advance a broader propaganda campaign centred on Kashmir.

Agencies estimate that around 30,000-40,000 Rohingyas are already present in India. They say attempts to facilitate new inflows have increased in recent months as surveillance around refugee camps and border regions in Bangladesh has weakened amid political instability in Dhaka.

Officials say the latest effort goes beyond illegal migration and is aimed at reframing Kashmir as the central symbol of Muslim persecution, using Rohingya displacement as an emotive tool to mobilise support beyond the Valley. This Kashmir-centric narrative, agencies believe, is intended to internationalise the issue while keeping activities below traditional security escalation thresholds.

Porous Routes and Organised Networks

Security agencies say Rohingya migrants are being routed into India through porous border corridors in the Northeast and eastern India, taking advantage of difficult terrain and overstretched border management. Entry, they add, is being facilitated by organised networks that rely on forged documents, local touts and temporary safe houses.

According to intelligence inputs, these networks help procure fake Aadhaar cards, ration cards and voter IDs, enabling migrants to establish a local identity. Once documentation is in place, access opens up to informal employment such as rag-picking, construction work, domestic labour, delivery services and small factories.

ISI’s ‘Low-Cost, High-Deniability’ Strategy

Indian agencies assess that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) views Rohingya networks as low-cost, high-deniability assets, useful for logistics support and narrative warfare rather than high-profile terror attacks. Officials say this approach allows adversaries to sustain pressure without triggering major security responses.

“This is seen as a more viable proposition than spectacular attacks," a senior official said, noting that such activities are designed to remain below escalation thresholds while keeping networks active on the ground.

Funding Through Hawala and Informal Channels

Investigators say funding for Rohingya movement and sustenance in India largely flows through informal hawala channels, routed via Bangladesh and West Asia. These include small, frequent cash transfers that avoid formal banking trails and are used to pay travel facilitators, document agents and initial settlement costs.

Some funds are also believed to be coming from unregulated charities and individual donors, ostensibly in the name of humanitarian relief. Agencies say migrants are often given cash stipends that help them survive in India before they secure informal employment.

Additional financial support is reported to come in the form of advances from criminal labour contractors within India. While individual amounts are small, officials say the continuous nature of the funding keeps the networks operational and difficult to trace.

Heightened Vigil

Security agencies say they are increasing coordination across states and border regions to track illegal entry routes, document fraud and funding trails. The focus, officials add, is not only on preventing infiltration but also on countering the narrative warfare they believe is tied to the renewed Rohingya movement.

As regional instability persists, agencies warn that migration pressures and their potential misuse for strategic objectives are likely to remain a key internal security challenge.

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