Sri Lanka, Oct. 28 -- Radical Islamists are gaining ground in Bangladesh and Pakistan. In Pakistan, they are getting more organised, militant and terroristic, while in Bangladesh, they are expanding their ideological reach, a development which could reshape domestic electoral outcomes and relations with India.

In Bangladesh. Islamic radicalism is represented mainly by the Jamaat-i-Islami (or Jamaat for short). It has gained significant ground in the post-Hasina era. The Interim Government of Bangladesh, led by Prof. Muhammad Yunus, had lifted the ban on the Jamaat on August 28, 2024, following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government on August 5.

The Jamaat had been participating in Bangladesh elections until 2013, when t...