Indian intelligence agencies have expressed concern over the presence of a senior US Special Forces officer in Dhaka following the discovery of his body in a hotel room on August 31.
“Terrence Arvelle Jackson, a Command Inspector General for 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne), was found dead in Room 808 of the Westin Hotel in Dhaka. Preliminary investigations by Bangladesh police suggest natural causes, with no signs of foul play. Jackson, aged around 50 and hailing from Raeford, North Carolina, had served in the United States Army for over 20 years, participating in multiple combat deployments and temporary duty assignments across the Asia Theater,” said an officer of an intelligence establishment.
Citing Jackson’s post on a social networking platform, the officer said, he joined the US Army in 2006 after three years in the Army National Guard and had plans to retire within the next two years. “The 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne), headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, specialises in organising and deploying forces for full-spectrum special operations in support of USSOCOM, Geographic Combatant Commanders and other US government agencies,” he added.
Sources in Bangladesh intelligence agencies said while Dhaka police handed over Jackson’s body to the US embassy without an autopsy, questions remain regarding the precise purpose of his extended stay in Bangladesh. “We have information that Jackson had been on a business trip for several months, checking into the Westin Hotel on August 29,” said an officer of Detective Branch, Dhaka.
Indian intelligence agencies are particularly concerned about the nature of his activities, whom he met and the locations he visited during his stay.
Further heightening scrutiny are repeated visits to Bangladesh by former US Ambassador Peter Haas, who is now a Strategic Adviser to Texas-based Excelerate Energy. Indian and Bangladeshi intelligence officials have flagged Haas’s trips — at least six over the past year — citing that while officially business-related, the timing and nature of his engagements suggest interests beyond corporate diplomacy.
“On August 5, Haas reportedly met in Cox’s Bazar with five key leaders of the National Coordination Platform (NCP), a group linked to the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement that played a significant role in Bangladesh’s political developments last year,” said another intelligence wing officer.
The presence of senior US Special Forces officers alongside repeated high-level visits by a former ambassador has prompted Indian agencies to closely monitor US activities in Bangladesh, particularly in the context of the country’s recent political shift and regional security dynamics.
Also read: Former Bangladesh police official arrested at Indo-Bangla border
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