Former US Ambassador to Bangladesh, Peter Haas, is under scrutiny from Indian intelligence agencies following a series of post-retirement visits to South Asia, including Bangladesh, that officials claim may have gone far beyond corporate interests.
Now a Strategic Adviser to Texas-based energy company Excelerate Energy, Haas’s alleged involvement in geopolitical maneuvering in Bangladesh — including links to anti-government student protests and regime change — has sparked serious concerns across intelligence and diplomatic circles.
Since stepping down from the US Foreign Service in September 2024, Haas has reportedly travelled to Bangladesh at least six times. Though officially tied to his new corporate role in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector, the frequency and nature of his visits have prompted speculation that deeper political motives were at play.
His most recent trip took place on Tuesday, August 5, when Haas was seen in Cox’s Bazar, meeting with five senior leaders of the National Coordination Platform (NCP) at the Royal Tulip Hotel (Sea Pearl Beach Resort). The attendees — Hasnat Abdullah, Sarjis Alam, Tasnim Zara, Nasiruddin Patwary and Khaled Saifullah — are all prominent figures in the anti-discrimination students movement, which played a central role in the uprisings that led to the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s government.
An official from Bangladesh’s intelligence services confirmed that all five leaders had flown in from Dhaka on a Bangladesh Biman flight earlier that day — a level of coordination that has added to the intrigue.
Accusations of covert regime change operation
Haas is being accused by intelligence sources of playing a significant role in orchestrating a regime change in Bangladesh. Between mid-2023 and July 2024, Haas reportedly worked in close coordination with Donald Lu, then the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, under the banner of pushing for “free and fair elections.”
According to Indian intelligence officials, the strategy began in early 2023 and involved grooming and mobilising student leaders through international networks, particularly in South Asia and the Middle East. These efforts, sources claim, were designed to destabilise the Hasina government.
Haas is also said to have made secretive visits to Sri Lanka and Mumbai between October and November 2023, allegedly to consult with US security officials operating behind the scenes. These meetings were reportedly focused on finalising plans for mass demonstrations and civil unrest in Dhaka and other major cities.
Adding to the controversy, Haas is believed to have met with several members of the current interim government, including Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus. One such meeting reportedly occurred on April 8 at the Jamuna Guest House in Dhaka.
Yunus, who stepped down as Grameen Group Chairman on March 7, 2023, is thought to have been influenced by American advisers — a move intelligence officials believe signaled the beginning of the coordinated operation. This period also marked the start of Haas’s increasingly vocal criticism of the Hasina government’s electoral policies.
International network and USAID connection
Reports indicate that clandestine meetings involving American intelligence personnel — some allegedly operating under the cover of USAID — were held with Bangladeshi student leaders in Doha, Dubai and Pakistani cities. Sources say that even Pakistan’s ISI held sessions with these groups, pointing to a complex web of regional interests.
A crucial strategic meeting allegedly took place in Washington DC in November 2023, presided over by former US Ambassador William Milam, now associated with the Woodrow Wilson Center. That meeting reportedly finalised the operational blueprint for the political shift in Dhaka.
Excelerate Energy’s global footprint mirrors Haas’s travels
Peter Haas’s employer, Excelerate Energy, has a global footprint that includes offices in Chattogram, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore — closely aligning with Haas’s travel schedule post-retirement. While the company maintains that his visits are strictly business-related, the overlap has raised further suspicions among intelligence agencies.
Following Bangladesh’s disputed January 7, 2024 general elections and the subsequent upheaval that reportedly forced Sheikh Hasina to flee to India, a new phase of US involvement is said to be unfolding.
According to intelligence reports, the US is now allegedly using the Bangladesh Army as a proxy force in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, aiming to indirectly support the Arakan Army — a move that could have serious consequences for regional stability.
No official response from US side yet
Despite mounting concerns and ongoing investigations, neither the US Embassy in Dhaka nor the US State Department has issued an official response to the allegations against Haas. Meanwhile, Haas’s continued presence in Bangladesh and his undisclosed meetings with political figures have only deepened the mystery.
For now, the shadow of Peter Haas looms large over the shifting political landscape of Bangladesh, with questions swirling about the true nature of foreign influence, strategic manipulation, and the blurred lines between diplomacy and covert operations.
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