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.

Mumbai: With two political gladiators – the BJP and the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS – announcing that the next Mayor of Mumbai will be a Marathi, the battle lines have clearly been drawn. The BJP, which heads the Mahayuti, had earlier announced that the city would be led by a Hindu, but later changed its stance, stating that the Mayor would indeed be a Marathi.

The reunion of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray has altered the political agenda and will now compel other parties to respond in kind. The civic body, with an annual budget exceeding Rs74,000 crore, is up for grabs – albeit with the Marathi asmita (pride) card firmly in play.

It was during the Congress-led rule that the battle for Mumbai was equally fierce. While the Congress stood for ‘Mumbai for all,’ the Shiv Sena–BJP alliance championed ‘Mumbai for Marathis.’ In 1992, when the Shiv Sena was at its peak under the late Balasaheb Thackeray, the BJP took a step back. It was officially announced by Thackeray and Pramod Mahajan that the two parties would fight separately. The Congress, led by Sharad Pawar, took full advantage of this split and went on to rule the metropolis for five years.

Much water has flowed under the bridge since then. After ruling the civic body with BJP support from 1997 to 2017, the Shiv Sena fought the last election on its own and survived by a narrow margin. In the 2017 BMC polls, the Sena won 84 seats, narrowly ahead of the BJP’s 82. The BJP chose not to stake its claim to the BMC, prioritising the alliance that was vital for running the Devendra Fadnavis-led state government.

The Uddhav-led Shiv Sena, which leaned more heavily on the Hindu plank after 2004, has now reverted to its original Marathi agenda. The shift has been driven largely by the 2022 party split engineered by Eknath Shinde with BJP support, which weakened the UBT faction as several leaders defected to the Shinde-led Sena. Meanwhile, Raj Thackeray – who has consistently upheld the Marathi language and Marathi Manoos agenda – has decided to join forces with his cousin Uddhav. Their reunion has sharply drawn the battle lines: Mumbai for Marathis or Mumbai for others?

The Marathi vote bank is estimated to be 32-37%. Electoral arithmetic shifts dramatically when this bloc votes en masse for a single party. Earlier, Marathi voters were divided between the Shiv Sena and the MNS; now, a unified push is likely. In 2007, when the MNS contested the BMC elections for the first time, it secured 10.43% of the vote, while the unified Shiv Sena polled 22.71%. In 2012, the MNS vote share rose to 20.67%, with the Sena at 21.85%. Had the Sena not allied with the BJP, which garnered 8.64%, the outcome could have been very different.

In 2017, when the Sena and BJP contested separately, the Sena secured 28.29% of the vote, while the BJP followed closely with 27.32%. The MNS managed 7.73%. Of the 227 seats in the BMC, the Congress won only 31, while the undivided Shiv Sena and BJP won 84 and 82 seats, respectively.

“Mumbai’s mayor will be Marathi, and he will be ours,” Raj Thackeray declared while announcing the poll pact. This sets up a major challenge for the Eknath Shinde–led Shiv Sena, which must now prove its relevance and identity in Mumbai.

Mumbai, Dec 25: In a year marked by heightened global uncertainty, precious metals delivered exceptional returns for investors, with silver emerging as a surprise winner.

Silver prices surged by more than 137 per cent — outperforming gold — which also posted a strong gain of around 68 per cent this year.

With equity markets facing volatility, both metals strengthened their position as preferred safe investment options, but silver clearly outshone all traditional choices.

Gold’s strong performance was supported by geopolitical tensions, inflation concerns, and expectations of interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve.

A major driving force behind gold’s rally was steady buying by global central banks. For three consecutive years — 2022, 2023 and 2024 — central banks have purchased more than 1,000 tonnes of gold each year.

Alongside this, global investors continued to invest through gold ETFs, using them as a safe place to park funds.

Big global banks have turned increasingly bullish on gold’s outlook. Goldman Sachs has raised its 2026 year-end gold price target to $4,900 per ounce, citing strong central bank demand and ETF inflows.

Deutsche Bank has also upgraded its outlook, projecting gold prices at $4,450 per ounce in 2026.

Silver’s rally, however, has been driven by more than just safe-haven demand. Strong industrial usage has played a crucial role.

Growing demand from sectors such as solar power, electric vehicles, and electronics has significantly increased silver consumption.

At the same time, supply constraints have tightened the market, pushing prices sharply higher.

This dual role — as a precious metal and an industrial input — has helped silver deliver more than double the returns of gold in 2025.

Looking ahead, experts believe the positive momentum in silver could continue into 2026.

Market specialists say that strong industrial demand, limited supply, and supportive global trends could help silver rise by another 15 to 20 per cent next year.

Some analysts expect that in the first half of 2026 alone, silver may generate an additional 20 to 25 per cent return from current levels, though they advise investors to invest gradually, especially if prices see short-term corrections.

Gold’s outlook also remains positive for 2026. Continued central bank buying, possible US rate cuts, and ongoing geopolitical risks are expected to support prices.

Analysts suggest that keeping an eye on central bank activity — whether they continue buying, hold their reserves, or start selling — will be critical, as their actions often signal future price trends well in advance.

“With uncertainty still dominating the global economic landscape, precious metals are likely to continue playing an important role in investor portfolios, offering a mix of safety and growth potential,” experts stated.

Meanwhile, both metal’s prices climbed to new record highs on the MCX on Wednesday morning, helped by a weak US dollar and expectations that the US Federal Reserve may cut interest rates further.

Gold futures for February rose 0.42 per cent to touch an all-time high of Rs 1,38,469 per 10 grams. Silver futures for March jumped nearly 2 per cent to hit a fresh record of Rs 2,23,742 per kg.

In the global market, gold prices crossed the $4,500 per ounce level for the first time. The rise was driven by strong demand for safe-haven assets as investors expect more interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve next year.