Pakistan’s premium spy agency – Inter-Services Intelligence – changed the government in Bangladesh, an Indian media outlet reported while quoting an intelligence report.

Tarique Rahman, acting chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, met with officials from ISI in Saudi Arabia, India Today reported. The meetings were part of a broader plan to allegedly destabilise PM Sheikh Hasina’s government and restore the BNP.

The plan was reportedly drafted in London with the intelligence agency’s purported involvement.

Protests erupted in Bangladesh over a controversial quota system, which reserved a significant portion of government jobs for veterans’ families. Though the Supreme Court reduced such quotas, the protests escalated into a broader anti-government movement, leading to violent clashes.

Social media played a crucial role in the unrest, with numerous anti-Hasina posts, many originating from Pakistani and US-based accounts, the Indian media report said.

According to India Today, Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, is allegedly backed by ISI.

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The protests turned deadly, with over 300 people killed and hundreds injured. The situation deteriorated further, leading to Hasina’s resignation and the army taking control. President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced the formation of an interim government and dissolved Parliament, also ordering the release of Khaleda Zia.