Chicken’s Neck to face new threat from Bangladesh? Modi government on alert as Jamaat-e-Islami wins 51 seats near Indian border

Hardline Islamist groups and organizations have reportedly been building political influence for some time in the Bangladeshi border districts facing West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam. 

Published: February 14, 2026 12:40 PM IST

New Delhi: In what can be termed as a concerning development for India, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has emerged victorious in 68 seats in the recently concluded Bangladesh General Election, 51 of which are located in areas bordering India. However, Jamaat’s Ameer, Shafiqur Rahman, had promised that his organization would maintain friendly relations with India. Experts are of the opinion that the statement was carefully made, keeping the domestic and regional politics in mind. A day before the elections, Shafiqur Rahman told an Indian news channel, “India is our closest neighbor. It is our priority.”

It is important to note that of the 51 seats won by Jamaat-e-Islami, many of them are in districts along the Indian border. This could create a concerning situation for Indian states such as West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura.

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According to the reports, Jamaat has been quietly working in these districts for several years. Even experienced leaders of the Bangladesh Awami League reportedly failed to fully grasp this trend, with some policy decisions allegedly allowing Islamist forces to regain ground.

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Here are some of the key details:

• Hardline Islamist groups and organizations have reportedly been building political influence for some time in the Bangladeshi border districts facing West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam.
• The most serious concerns are emerging in Bangladeshi districts close to West Bengal — including Satkhira, Jhenaidah, Jessore, Chapainawabganj, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Kushtia, and Rajshahi.
• On the Indian side, districts such as Murshidabad, Malda, North 24 Parganas, Siliguri, and Cooch Behar have witnessed increasingly assertive
• Sometimes volatile political trends among sections of the Muslim population.
• Political analysts in Dhaka believe that one major reason behind Jamaat’s success in border areas is the presence of Muslims who migrated from India after Partition.
• Their descendants, whose population has grown significantly, are believed to have supported Jamaat in large numbers.

Jamaat Won 51 Seats in Border Areas

Vote counts show that Jamaat secured significant victories in border districts including Nilphamari (4), Rangpur (6), Kurigram (4), Gaibandha (4), Chapainawabganj (3), Naogaon (1), Rajshahi (2), Kushtia (3), Chuadanga (2), Jhenaidah (3), Jessore (4), Khulna (2), Satkhira (4), Meherpur (2), Sherpur (1), Mymensingh (2), Sylhet (1), Noakhali (1), and Chattogram (2). According to a report by Northeast Eye, Indian security analysts are currently examining the distribution of seats won by Jamaat to better understand the emerging situation.

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