At least 4 Bangladeshis killed while fighting for Pakistan’s banned TTP: Dawn

Pakistan's English daily Dawn has reported that at least four Bangladeshis have been killed while fighting for the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned militant group waging insurgency against the Pakistani state to impose its own interpretation of Sharia law.

The report, published on 7 December, states that another two dozen or so Bangladeshi nationals are currently in Pakistan, fighting for the TTP and other militant organisations, citing the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit.

However, officials in Dhaka confirmed to The Business Standard that the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Intelligence (CTTI) unit of the Bangladesh Police's Special Branch (SB) has uncovered the information.

Written by Bangladeshi investigative journalist Maruf Hasan, the report includes family accounts of three Bangladeshis – Faisal Hossain, 22; Zubair Ahmed, 22; and Ratan Dhali, 29 – and details how they reached Pakistan, their recruitment, and motivations.

It reports that Faisal was killed on 26 September 2025 by Pakistani security forces during an operation in Karak district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Zubair is believed to have been killed in April 2025, while Ratan's fate remains uncertain.

Dawn cites several sources, including family members and experts such as CTTI's Superintendent of Police (SP) Rawshan Sadia Afroz. 

When contacted, Afroz told TBS that a network was first traced while investigating Zubair's death. 

"Bangladeshis started joining the TTP after 2023. It may have occurred earlier, but so far we have confirmed five deaths. One more case remains uncertain, though our assessment suggests he too has died," she said.

She added that 20 to 30 Bangladeshis are currently fighting for the TTP. "Many recruits do not understand what they are getting involved in. They are young," she said. 

Investigators have also identified more potential recruits and have visited families to persuade them not to send relatives abroad for militant activity, she added.

Regarding whether Pakistan has formally informed Bangladesh, Fasih Ullah Khan, press counsellor at the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka, could not provide an immediate response on Tuesday evening but said he would follow up. 

Repeated attempts to reach Bangladesh Foreign Ministry spokesperson SM Mahbubul Alam were unsuccessful. TBS also contacted Md Iqbal Hussain Khan, Bangladesh High Commissioner in Pakistan, but he did not answer calls.

CTTI first became aware this year

A CTTI official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told TBS that the pipeline of Bangladeshis joining militant groups in Pakistan began in early 2023. Officials first became aware of the trend in May this year and have monitored it since.

The official said five Bangladeshis have been confirmed killed while fighting for the TTP between 2023 and 2025. The death of at least one more recruit has been reported but remains unverified.

Regarding the three Bangladeshis mentioned in Dawn, the CTTI official said Zubair was killed in action while fighting for the TTP. Zubair was a student at Savar Government College. Faisal, from Madaripur, was killed on 26 September 2025; his father works as an electrical line labourer.

The official also mentioned a link to the Rof Rof Hijama clinic. He said that in December 2024, Saifullah Guraba was injured in a bomb blast while conducting operations for the TTP. He remains under treatment in Pakistan with severe injuries. 

Saifullah had lived in Khilgaon before leaving for Pakistan in 2023 and ran a clinic called Rof Rof Hijama, where Faisal and Ratan Dhali had also been linked before their departure.

The official said they had received reports of Ratan Dhali's death, though confirmation remains elusive. CTTI had checked with sources in Pakistan and Ratan's family in Gopalganj.

Recruitment in Bangladesh is reportedly handled by Imran Haider, an aeronautical engineer active on social media. "We have collected all necessary information about him," the official said.

He added that at least 20 young Bangladeshis have been prevented from travelling to Pakistan. Fourteen of them were from Khilgaon, with others identified in Savar and Mirpur.