Chicken-neck Corridor Under Surveillance: The ISI’s Growing Influence in Bangladesh
- Bangladesh India International Affairs Pakistan South Asia
Shreya Naskar- 0
- 2 minutes read
According to sources, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has established an office in Sylhet, Bangladesh, purportedly for research purposes. However, there are concerns about the true nature of this establishment.
Reports suggest that the ISI is using this office to monitor India’s North-Eastern region, marking its first significant observation of this area since 1971. Their focus appears to be on the Seven Sisters states and the strategically vital Chicken’s Neck corridor. Sylhet’s proximity to this corridor allows for close surveillance of Indian territory. Analysts believe the ISI’s objective is to gather intelligence on Indian defence movements in the Northeast and relay this information to China.
Nijhoom Majumdar has stated that while the ISI may not engage directly in operations, its primary role is intelligence collection on India’s activities for dissemination to China. Given the strategic importance of the Chicken’s Neck corridor
which serves as the sole link between mainland India and its Northeastern states, Sylhet’s location offers the ISI a vantage point to observe daily life and movements within India without crossing the border.
Historically, elements within Bangladesh have eyed India’s strategically vital Siliguri Corridor, commonly known as the “Chicken’s Neck,” with the intent to disrupt the connection between mainland India and its northeastern states. Efforts to incite unrest and smuggle arms into these regions have reportedly been thwarted by India’s robust administrative measures over the years. Currently, there is apprehension that Bangladesh’s interim government and the Pakistani ISI might be collaborating with similar objectives.
