Rising extremism: Kabul , Dhaka developments raise tensions

India is concerned about simultaneous threats from rising extremism along its western and eastern flanks over the next year as the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan draws near and radical groups gain strength in Bangladesh ahead of parliamentary polls there next January. The Manmohan Singh government is analyzing reports that it’s getting from Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

There’s a rise in cross-border support to the Taliban in Afghanistan and radicals are threatening to disturb elections in Bangladesh, officials said. Delhi fears that following the US withdrawal there will be a spurt in the support of the Pakistani army and the Inter-Services Intelligence espionage agency for the Taliban.

The government is also keeping a close watch on Ashfaq Parvez Kayani’s future role in Pakistan’s security establishment following his retirement as army chief on November 29.

Officials say the Pakistani army is unwilling to give the civilian government much say on policy toward either Afghanistan or India. PM Manmohan Singh raised the issue of growing threats from the Taliban emboldened by support from Pakistan during his meeting with US President Barack Obama in Washington in September.