Threats against CM Suvendu, calls targeting Hindus: Why Bangladesh’s radicals are panicking over BJP’s Bengal victory

The formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal has clearly sparked panic in neighbouring Bangladesh. Street protests have erupted against the new Bengal government, while radical clerics are openly threatening to kill the state’s new Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari. Not only are radical clerics, but those holding important positions in the Bangladesh government are also distraught. The reason behind this isn’t just a change of government and the replacement of one party with another, but rather the entire ideological shift that this change of power is bringing about in Bengal. India’s open border served as a gateway for Bangladeshi infiltrators. Mamata Banerjee opposed closing it, but the situation has changed. Suvendu Adhikari has prioritised fencing, and this crackdown is increasing the anxiety of extremists. The Suvendu government gave land to the BSF for fencing, but the Mamata government blocked it Upon assuming power in Bengal, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari made the security of the India-Bangladesh border a top priority in his very first cabinet decisions. The new government decided that the necessary land for fencing in areas along the India-Bangladesh border that had not yet been completed would be handed over to the BSF within 45 days. Howrah, West Bengal: Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari says, "…Today, on the very first day, we have approved the land transfer process to secure the borders for the central defence office and the BSF. From today, the land transfer process will begin. Within 45 days, the land… pic.twitter.com/W41HltujqI— IANS (@ians_india) May 11, 2026 Shubhendu Adhikari stated clearly that his government will not compromise on border security. This decision by the state government will prevent infiltration, cattle smuggling, and illegal networks that are conspiring to change the demographics of the border once the border fencing is complete. This land was stuck during the tenure of Mamata Banerjee’s TMC government. The matter reached the Calcutta High Court, where the High Court reprimanded the then Mamata Banerjee government for not allocating the agreed-upon land to the BSF and also imposed a fine of ₹25,000 on a government official. Bangladesh uneasy over fencing decision, Tariq Rahman’s advisor says This decision by the Shubhendu government has increased anxiety in Bangladesh. According to media reports, Humayun Kabir, foreign affairs advisor of Bangladesh Prime Minister Tariq Rahman, commented on this decision, saying that Bangladesh cannot be intimidated by “barbed wire.” There have also been reports of the Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) being put on alert. That is, the decision which the new BJP government of West Bengal is linking to border security and national interest has increased the uneasiness of political and fundamentalist circles in Bangladesh. Protests in Bangladesh and inflammatory statements by fundamentalists Following the formation of the BJP government in Bengal, there has been unrest among Islamic fundamentalists in Bangladesh. These fundamentalists are taking to the streets to protest against the new Bengal government. Several clerics are also openly spewing venom against the BJP government and Hindus in Bengal. A radical Islamist group from #Bangladesh called "Islami Andolan" is protesting against the BJP govt in West Bengal. They want to fight a war.They also want to bring back Mamata Banerjee and the TMC party to power in West Bengal. pic.twitter.com/FZMw3S0Wtk— Bangladeshi Hindus Community (@Hindubd49346) May 11, 2026 In a viral video, a cleric associated with the radical Bangladeshi organisation Insaaf Kayamkari Chhatra Shramik Janata (Insaf Kayamkari Chhatra Shramik Janata) hurled Hindu hatred, calling for an attack on India with the help of Pakistan and Indian Muslims. “India will be attacked, Inshallah. We will call upon Pakistan. It will not even take 3 hours for us to capture India. These 26 provinces of India will be crushed, Insha-Allah. And the Muslims of India are enough,” the preacher threatened. In the video, he named Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and issued threats. “If 40 crore (400 million) Muslims become angry, the Hindus of India will not be able to live. Suvendu, Modi, Rajnath Singh, Himanta and Yogi will have to apologise to Muslims,” he further remarked. CM Suvendu Adhikari threatened to be buried at the border Another video has surfaced in which a Bangladeshi Muslim man threatens to bury Bengal’s new Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari, at the border. This video is shared by a Facebook page called “The Daily Inquilab.” However, the police are investigating the authenticity of this video. According to information being examined by investigators, the man seen in the viral video is said to be the father of an Islamist who was killed during the 2024 regime change operation in Bangladesh. In the clip, the man uses abusive and violent language against the West Bengal Chief Minister while speaking in Hindi.  Meanwhile, Bangladeshi Maulana Inayatullah Abbasi says that if Muslims are not safe in Bengal, Hindus will not be safe in Bangladesh either. He is provoking the Tariq Rahman government in Bangladesh to threaten to break off trade relations with India. The ground reality of ‘Poriborton’ in Bengal: Cross-border racketeering will now be stopped Bangladesh’s frustration with the BJP’s growing political power and electoral success in West Bengal is clearly visible. Bengal shares a nearly 2,200-kilometre international border with Bangladesh, a portion of which was previously open. For years, this area had been a hub of illegal immigration, cattle smuggling, counterfeit currency networks, and radical activities. Due to appeasement politics in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee’s government did not take strict measures regarding border security. Vote-bank politics protected illegal immigrants, gradually affecting the demographics of many border districts. It even emerged that the illegal activities carried out by Bangladesh were facilitated by the “Mamata” government, steeped in appeasement politics. As the BJP’s influence grows, anxiety is rising among those who relied on cross-border illicit trade and political patronage. The reactions of radical organisations in Bangladesh, as well as Islamic preachers and government officials, need to be seen in this context. They fear that if a stricter administrative system is implemented in Bengal, the illegal activities that have enjoyed protection until now may be curbed. (This article is a translation of the original article published at OpIndia Hindi.)