The meeting between Tarique Rahman, acting chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and retired Brigadier General Aman Azmi has sparked significant concern regarding the BNP's strategic alignments and potential implications for regional security.

This encounter occurred in Dhaka on Wednesday evening, drawing immediate scrutiny from observers tracking Bangladesh-India relations.

Tarique Rahman, who has positioned himself as open to constructive engagement with India in a potential post-election scenario, met Azmi, a former Bangladesh Army officer notorious for his vehement anti-India rhetoric.

Azmi is the son of Ghulam Azam, a prominent Jamaat-e-Islami leader whose role during Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War remains deeply controversial.

Ghulam Azam actively opposed independence, collaborating with Pakistani forces by organising pro-Pakistan 'Peace Committees' that supported paramilitary units such as the Razakars, Al-Badr, and Al-Shams.

These groups were implicated in widespread atrocities, including genocide, war crimes, and the targeted assassination of Bengali intellectuals during the conflict.

In 2013, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal convicted Azam of crimes against humanity, sentencing him to 90 years in prison—a punishment mitigated from capital punishment due to his age of 91.

Azam passed away in 2014, but his legacy continues to fuel divisions within Bangladeshi politics. Aman Azmi himself evaded detection during the later years of Sheikh Hasina's government, only to re-emerge shortly after her ouster in August 2024.

Bangladesh analysts note that Azmi played a pivotal role in levelling accusations against several high-ranking army officers, alleging their involvement in kidnappings and extrajudicial killings during that period.

The BNP's outreach to such a figure raises questions about the party's post-election ambitions, particularly its possible ties to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Sources familiar with bilateral dynamics between Bangladesh and India warn that these connections could undermine New Delhi's security interests in the neighbourhood.

Rahman has recently signalled a more conciliatory stance towards India, expressing readiness to foster normal diplomatic and economic ties should the BNP secure power.

Yet, his historical associations with the ISI and Jamaat-e-Islami prompt fears that external influences might steer him towards a pro-Pakistan orientation aimed at counterbalancing India.

A seasoned Bangladesh watcher emphasised that Jamaat-e-Islami harbours strong ambitions to integrate into any future BNP-led coalition, advancing its Islamist agenda through governmental leverage.

Such a development could revive long-dormant networks sympathetic to Pakistani interests, complicating India's strategic calculus in South Asia.

India has long viewed Jamaat-e-Islami with suspicion due to its ideological opposition to secularism and its past collaboration with Pakistani military during the liberation struggle.

The BNP's internal dynamics further complicate the picture; Rahman, operating largely from exile in London until recent virtual engagements, leads a party that blends nationalist rhetoric with opportunistic alliances.

His meeting with Azmi underscores a potential pivot away from the India-friendly overtures made in recent months, possibly signalling internal pressures or calculated realignments ahead of elections.

Regional security experts highlight that Pakistan has historically sought to cultivate proxies in Bangladesh to encircle India, a strategy that waned under Hasina's pro-India tenure but could regain traction now.

Azmi's public criticisms of India, often amplified on social media and through pro-Pakistan narratives, align him closely with elements that view Dhaka's dependence on New Delhi as a threat to sovereignty. The timing of the meeting—amid political flux following Hasina's removal—suggests deliberate networking to consolidate anti-establishment forces within Bangladesh's military and Islamist circles.

For India, this episode necessitates heightened vigilance, including closer monitoring of BNP's campaign rhetoric, potential coalition partners, and cross-border movements linked to ISI operatives.

Bangladesh's army, a kingmaker in its politics, remains a wildcard; Azmi's accusations against its seniors could either fracture loyalties or rally the institution against perceived Islamist encroachments.

Should Rahman ascend to power, his ability to balance these competing influences will test the BNP's commitment to pragmatic regionalism versus ideological entanglements.

Observers urge Delhi to engage discreetly with moderate BNP factions while bolstering intelligence-sharing with Bangladeshi counterparts to pre-empt any pro-Pakistan tilt.

This meeting serves as a cautionary signal that Bangladesh's political transition harbours risks for India's neighbourhood first policy, demanding nuanced diplomacy in the coming months.