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A United Nations Security Council monitoring team has warned that Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) could seek to exploit Bangladesh to establish terrorist cells as the group continues to adapt its operational and financial networks in South Asia.
The concern was raised in the Thirty-Eighth Report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, submitted to the Security Council under Resolution 2734 (2024).
According to the report, AQIS has evolved from a fragmented organisation into a more regional terrorist entity, developing logistics and financial networks while moving towards a decentralised structure of small and dispersed cells rather than larger operational units.
The report said the threat level from Al-Qaida remained broadly unchanged but had intensified in parts of the Sahel and South Asia.
It also said the November 2025 attack on Delhi’s Red Fort was officially attributed to AQIS, highlighting the group’s continuing interest in the region.
The monitoring team warned that AQIS could attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in Bangladesh to establish cells, although it did not provide details about any specific planned attack or existing operational network in the country.
The report said Al-Qaida’s senior leadership remained marginalised, while the group’s capability and intent to conduct external operations remained unclear.
The warning comes amid heightened security concerns across South Asia, particularly following continued cross-border tensions and militant activity involving Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The monitoring team also assessed the activities of several Al-Qaida and Islamic State affiliates in other regions.
It said Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) had intensified its activities in Mali, while Al-Shabaab appeared to be shifting towards more targeted and strategic operations.
Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), meanwhile, strengthened its capabilities by taking advantage of a security vacuum in southern Yemen in early 2026.
The report also warned that the terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan remained largely unchanged.
Although the Taliban authorities have taken measures against Islamic State Khorasan (ISIL-K) and attempted to contain other militant groups, the monitoring team said they had been unable to suppress the broader terrorist threat.
Member states expressed concern that the continuing conflict in Afghanistan could create opportunities for terrorist organisations and generate additional security challenges for neighbouring countries and the wider region.
The report said the decentralised nature of contemporary militant networks posed particular challenges for national authorities, as smaller cells can operate with limited resources and reduced organisational visibility.
For Bangladesh, the assessment underscores the importance of continued vigilance against the possible emergence of extremist networks, particularly through cross-border movements, online radicalisation, illicit financing and logistical support.
The UN monitoring team’s assessment does not indicate that AQIS has established operational cells in Bangladesh. Rather, it identifies the country as a potential environment that the group could seek to exploit as it adapts its regional strategy.