The fall of authoritarian ruler Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 has transformed Bangladesh into a contested arena of foreign influence, with dangerous implications for regional security. What once appeared to be a domestic political upheaval is now morphing into a geopolitical front, where Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) are quietly building a partnership. Their common goal is to weaken India’s strategic posture and spread Islamist influence across South Asia.

For decades, Jamaat-e-Islami served as Pakistan’s ideological arm inside Bangladesh, having collaborated with the Pakistani army during the 1971 war. Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government dismantled its networks, banned the party, and executed its wartime leaders for atrocities. But after Hasina’s ouster, Jamaat has staged a comeback, reopening offices, reactivating social networks, and benefiting from both Turkish patronage and Pakistani protection.

The July 2025 visit of Yasin Aktay, a close aide of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to Jamaat’s Dhaka headquarters signaled Ankara’s open support. Turkish intelligence reportedly funded the office’s renovation, while NGOs connected to Ankara’s Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) and Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) have begun channeling funds into Islamic charities, madrasa networks and ideological outreach.

Bangladesh is now Turkey’s fourth-largest defense customer, and the military-to-military relationship has deepened significantly over the past year.

Tulpar light tanks: In January 2025, Dhaka finalized negotiations to procure 26 Turkish-made Tulpar light tanks. Suited for marshy and riverine terrain, they are especially useful in the borderlands adjoining India.

Small arms & counter-drone systems: Turkish firm CANiK signed a MoUs to supply Bangladesh with heavy machine guns, 30 × 113 mm cannons for counter-UAV warfare, and precision rifles.

Defense complexes: Ankara has pledged support........

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