Bangladesh Rolls Out Red Carpet For Zakir Naik 9 Years After Terror Link
Yunus govt approves month-long tour despite Naik’s history of radical speeches and Dhaka attack connection.
Nine years after the 2016 Holey Artisan Bakery attack—where a terrorist cited Zakir Naik’s speeches as inspiration—the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government has approved a month-long visit by the controversial preacher from November 28 to December 20, 2025. Banned under Sheikh Hasina’s administration, Naik’s Peace TV and influence were directly linked to radicalization. Now, Bangladesh appears to be embracing him, signaling a sharp shift toward religious extremism following Hasina’s ouster.
Naik, wanted in India by the NIA for hate speech and inciting communal disharmony, will tour multiple cities, delivering public addresses. Analysts warn the visit is strategically timed to amplify radical narratives. During a similar tour in Pakistan last year, Naik met top Lashkar-e-Taiba commanders—including designated terrorists Muzammil Iqbal Hashmi and Muhammad Harris Dhar. Intelligence sources expect comparable meetings in Bangladesh with leaders of HuJI and JMB, both identified by the ISI as proxies for anti-India operations.
The Yunus administration, accused of being influenced by Jamaat-e-Islami, has released convicted terrorists and allowed ISI operatives to expand influence. Indian agencies have repeatedly flagged rising radicalization in Bangladesh, with ISI deploying LeT and JeM commanders to train local militants. Naik’s visit is seen as a morale and ideological boost to these networks, especially as Bangladesh-based groups are being primed for cross-border strikes.
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Naik fled India in 2016 and now resides in Malaysia after being denied entry by the UK and Canada. Through Peace TV—in Urdu and Bangla—he has openly justified terrorism, once stating, “If bin Laden is fighting the enemies of Islam, I am for him.” Though he later claimed misrepresentation, his speeches continue to inspire extremist ideology. His NGOs have been linked to forced conversions in Kerala alongside the banned PFI.
With Bangladesh now providing Naik a platform, regional security concerns have escalated. The visit not only revives the preacher’s influence but risks deepening radical networks at a time when India-Bangladesh ties are already strained.
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