Bangladesh Unrest Puts India At Rohingya Risk? What Intel Sources Say | Exclusive

Last Updated:December 21, 2025, 18:51 IST

“The instability has reduced border coordination between India and Bangladesh," say top intelligence sources

Bangladesh witnessed violent protests recently after the death of a student leader. (Reuters)

Bangladesh’s current crisis could lead to Rohingya spillover for India, said top intelligence sources.

“The instability has reduced border coordination. Indian real-time intelligence sharing is not working these days. Hostility from Dhaka could add to Rohingya spillover risk for India," they said.

Bangladesh is facing unrest, with protests and violence, following the death of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Hadi, convenor of Inqilab Moncho, a prominent student activist and a parliamentary candidate for the upcoming February 2026 national elections, on December 18, 2025. Amid the chaos, Dipu Chandra Das, a 27-year-old Hindu youth, was beaten to death by a mob over alleged blasphemy, and his body was set on fire. The incident sparked widespread outrage and condemnation.

How Rohingya enter India

“Most infiltrators use low-visibility routes and riverine gaps in West Bengal, forest corridors in Assam and Tripura. These groups no longer see the camps as temporary shelters but as permanent operational bases," they said.

Security agencies have flagged the risk of secondary radicalisation, where economically desperate Rohingya become soft targets for Islamist recruiters. “The recruiters use forged documents and trafficking routes to move cadres toward India, Malaysia, and the Gulf. Indian agencies have seen repeated Rohingya-linked arrests across Assam, West Bengal, Jammu, Delhi and Hyderabad. This confirms that Bangladesh camps are already functioning as feeder zones for illegal entry into India.

These groups are offering protection, money or ideological purposes," they said.

Another easy entry is forged Aadhaar networks which makes detection in India tougher. “Rohingya migrants get increasingly embedded in urban clusters. They work in informal labour markets where verification is weak and radical preachers can operate under the radar," said sources.

Even small Rohingya-linked incidents can trigger diplomatic pressure, social tension, and security diversion. “Any law and order action against Rohingya inside India quickly attracts international scrutiny. This is creating a humanitarian versus security dilemma that hostile actors exploit deliberately," they said.

SC’s firm stance

The Supreme Court on December 2 took a sharp stance while hearing a habeas corpus petition alleging the disappearance of Rohingya refugees, questioning whether the judiciary was expected to extend extraordinary protections to those who enter the country illegally.

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, heading the bench, said, “Do you want us to roll out a red carpet for them?" The Court noted that Rohingyas were entering India through underground routes and then demanding rights such as food and shelter. “They enter through tunnels and demand rights like food and shelter," the CJI observed.

Emphasising on the pressure on limited welfare resources, the Chief Justice asked: “Are your poor children not entitled to these benefits? Do we have to stretch the law this far?"

The bench also highlighted security concerns linked to illegal migration, especially along India’s northern borders. “We have a very sensitive border in North India. If an intruder enters illegally, do we have the obligation to keep them here?" the CJI said, highlighting the national-security side of the issue.

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