UN warns of Al-Qaeda attempts to establish cells in Bangladesh

The United Nations Security Council has raised concerns that Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) may be seeking to exploit Bangladesh to establish terrorist cells.

The concern was highlighted in the 38th report of the UN Security Council's Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team on the Islamic State and Al-Qaida, submitted under Resolution 2734 (2024).

The report said the November 2025 attack on Delhi's Red Fort was officially attributed to AQIS and noted concerns over the group's attempts to use Bangladesh as a base for establishing cells.

AQIS, which is not currently listed under the relevant UN sanctions regime, has continued to evolve from a fragmented organisation into a regional terrorist entity, according to the report.

It said the group had developed logistics and financial networks while increasingly relying on decentralised, small and dispersed cells rather than large organised units.

"The threat level remained broadly unchanged. However, it intensified in the Sahel and South Asia," the report said, adding that Al-Qaida's senior leadership remained marginalised and its capability and intent to conduct external operations remained unclear.

The report also highlighted heightened regional tensions in South Asia, particularly amid escalating cross-border attacks between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

It said the escalation was driven in part by attacks by Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) against Pakistan, while the Taliban continued to support the group despite publicly denying that it harbours terrorist organisations.

The UN monitoring team said the terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan remained largely unchanged, with numerous terrorist groups continuing to operate there and posing an enduring threat to neighbouring countries and Central Asia.

Although the Taliban authorities have taken measures against Islamic State Khorasan (ISIL-K) and other militant groups, the report said they had been unable to fully suppress the terrorist threat.

Globally, the report also noted developments involving Al-Qaida and Islamic State affiliates in the Sahel, Somalia, Yemen and Central Africa.

In the Sahel, Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) launched attacks against the Malian government, while rivalry between JNIM and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara intensified.

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) also strengthened its capabilities in southern Yemen amid a security vacuum, while the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) expanded their territorial reach in Central Africa.

The report said Al-Qaida and Islamic State affiliates continued to prioritise kidnapping for ransom as a means of generating revenue and weakening local security forces.