New Delhi, Dec 25: The ISI’s role in attempting to fan an anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh is most certainly confirmed, given the rhetoric by some Pakistan news outlets and a few leaders. Some media outlets have recklessly blamed India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for the murder of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi. The claim has been made at a time when the Bangladesh authorities themselves are unclear about the killers and their motive.

Adding to the fire is a fiery video message by Kamran Sayeed Usmani, a leader of Pakistan’s ruling party, PML-N, who went on an anti-India rhetoric.

While blaming New Delhi for the mess in Bangladesh, he threatens that missiles would be directed at India. Officials say that these are reckless messages only aimed at ensuring that the violence continues in Bangladesh.

The official further pointed out that there is a pattern to such messaging. The intention is to internationalise the domestic problems in Bangladesh, and by dragging India into it, these elements are trying to achieve just that. Not a single country except Pakistan has blamed India for the mess that is on in Bangladesh. In fact, it was the Pakistan deep-state that orchestrated this mess by first ensuring that Sheikh Hasina was ousted and the Jamaat-e-Islami was in the driver’s seat. The international community is aware that the Jamaat is a puppet of the ISI.

Following the Liberation War, it was the ISI and Jamaat which planned large-scale illegal immigration into India so that demographic changes could be executed. Intelligence Bureau officials who are keeping a close watch on the developments in Bangladesh say that the ISI is playing two games here.

Pakistan has been desperately seeking revenge against India since it lost the 1971 war, which led to the creation of Bangladesh. Hence, there has been the manufacturing of a false narrative so that the people of Bangladesh are pitted against India.

The ISI realises that it would need a Jamaat government or one backed by it to be in power. Parties like the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) have been showing signs of moving away from the Jamaat and ISI, as the party wants a developed and not a radical nation.

The signs became clear when the BNP distanced itself from the Jamaat and decided to contest the elections on its own.

This shift has hurt the ISI and made it insecure, as the BNP does have every chance of winning the elections. Pollsters have predicted a win for the BNP in the absence of the Awami League, which has been banned from contesting the elections.

Former Prime Minister and BNP chief Khaleda Zia is unwell, and this could well be a sympathy factor for the party in the February 2026 polls. The BNP cadre will also be bolstered by the return of Zia’s son, Tarique Rehman, who is set to visit Bangladesh after 17 years in exile.

All these factors have made the ISI and Jamaat uneasy, and they feel that the elections can slip out of their hand.

Bangladesh watchers say that the elections are unlikely to be put off as pressure from the international community is building up. Experts say that the elections in Bangladesh are most likely to go as per schedule, but the fairness of it remains a question mark.

Intelligence agencies say that the violence is being fanned by the Jamaat-controlled groups so that the people do not come out and vote in large numbers. They want to create fear in the minds of the people so that they stay indoors when the elections are on.

Many Awami League supporters are unlikely to vote as the party is banned. Some are likely to shift their loyalties to the BNP, and if this does happen, then the party’s chances of winning the elections will only increase.

Analysts say that there is either a chance of a short postponement of the elections or a completely unfair one being conducted.

The ISI is doing everything possible to rig the polls by inciting violence. While trying to rig the polls, the ISI is also dishing out a false narrative to create an anti-India sentiment among the people.

New Delhi, Dec 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, on Monday as the two leaders jointly announced the successful conclusion of the historic, ambitious and mutually beneficial India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

During the conversation, both leaders expressed confidence in doubling bilateral trade over the next five years as well as an investment of $20 billion in India from New Zealand over the next 15 years.

The negotiations began in March this year and the two leaders concluded the FTA in a record time of nine months, reflecting the shared ambition and political will to further deepen ties between the two countries, according to a statement from Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

“The FTA would significantly deepen bilateral economic engagement, enhance market access, promote investment flows, strengthen strategic cooperation between the two countries, and also open up new opportunities for innovators, entrepreneurs, farmers, MSMEs, students and youth of both countries across various sectors,” said the statement.

The leaders also welcomed the progress achieved in other areas of bilateral cooperation such as sports, education, and people-to-people ties, and reaffirmed their commitment towards further strengthening of the India-New Zealand partnership.

This historic FTA eliminates and reduces tariffs on 95 per cent of New Zealand’s exports – among the highest of any Indian FTA – with almost 57 per cent being duty-free from day one, increasing to 82 per cent when fully implemented, with the remaining 13 per cent subject to sharp tariff cuts.

It puts New Zealand exporters on an equal or better footing to our competitors across a range of sectors and opens the door to India’s rapidly expanding middle class, according to an official statement from New Zealand.

“The Indian economy is forecast to grow to NZ$12 trillion by 2030. The India-NZ Free Trade Agreement unleashes huge potential for our world-class exporters to the world’s largest country and will significantly accelerate progress towards New Zealand’s ambitious goal of doubling the value of exports over 10 years,” it added.

New Delhi, Dec 18: The ban on Dhurandhar by Pakistan and some Gulf nations has not affected its run at the box office. The movie is showing no signs of slowing down, but the ISI has a major problem back in Pakistan.

The movie, which deals with the 1999 Khandahar hijacking, Mumbai 26/11 attacks and also the Lyari gang wars, has not gone down well with the Pakistan establishment, and all attempts have been made to block it. However, the ISI has completely lost control over the digital space and attempts at a blackout have failed miserably.

At least 2 million illegal downloads of the film have been reported in Pakistan in just two weeks. It has gone on to become the most pirated movie in Pakistan, beating 2.0 and Raees. The ban in Pakistan may have cost the movie makers Rs 50-60 crore, but the message about Pakistan being a complete terror state has been sent across Pakistan.

Although it makes no difference to the Pakistanis about what their country is, it is a psychological win for India, which has managed to spread the message despite the movie being banned. The Pakistanis are in particular upset about the portrayal of Lyari. The establishment is so desperate to counter this narrative that it has decided to fast-track a film about Lyari showing the place in a good light.

“Indian movie Dhurandhar is yet another example of negative propaganda by the Indian film industry against Pakistan, especially targeting Lyari. Lyari is not violence — it is culture, peace, talent, and resilience. Next month, Mera Lyari will release, showing the true face of Lyari: peace, prosperity, and pride. #MeraLyari,” Sindh’s Senior Provincial Minister for Information, Sharjeel Inam Memon said on X.

The ISI, despite monitoring the internet relating to the movie, has completely failed to take control. Torrents and piracy links are all over the internet, which are being used to download the movie.

The Dark Web experts in the country are using the servers in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Malaysia to ensure that the Pakistanis are able to download the film illegally and watch it. The Pakistanis are downloading the movie through Telegram channels, underground streams and also the VPN. The very fact that it has gone on to become the most pirated film to date only shows that the ISI has failed to control the situation, and all attempts to blackout the movie have fallen flat.

Officials say that this surge in the number of downloads indicates the curiosity that the people in Pakistan have about the movie.

While some may not agree with the narrative of the film, many are appreciative of the acting in the movie. Many Pakistanis are creating reels and memes on social media, it has come to light.

The social media accounts linked to both the ISI and ISPR have been using smaller clips in the movie to mock the narrative India has set. They are trying to pass off the content with false narratives against India.

The agencies say that there are attempts by the ISI-linked social media handles to manipulate the content to suit the local narrative. Experts say that the manner in which the movie Mera Lyari is being fast-tracked for a January release and the way in which the ISI is desperately trying to block out the film suggest that the Pakistanis are on the defensive.

The fact that the curiosity around the film is growing with each passing day and the rate at which it is being illegally downloaded only shows that the ISI has failed in its actions, the expert also points out.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has also filed a legal challenge in a Karachi court questioning the images of the late Benazir Bhutto being used. The petition seeks an FIR against the cast and crew of the movie Dhurandhar.

The film’s star cast is led by Ranveer Singh, who plays Hamza, an Indian spy who infiltrates Pakistan’s Lyari to dismantle terror networks, which are backed by the ISI. The cast also includes Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal and Rakesh Bedi.