Singapore arrests 27 Bangladeshis for ‘Al-Qaeda, IS link’ [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Singapore arrests 27 Bangladeshis for ‘Al-Qaeda, IS link’

Global January 21, 2016

Singapore authorities arrested 27 Bangladeshis working in the country and deported all of them, except one, for their suspected involvement with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan told journalists at his office Wednesday that they were deported in phases.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police deputy Commissioner Maruf Hossain Sorder told New Age Wednesday evening that on their arrival in Dhaka they were arrested by DMP and 14 of them are now in jail in cases filed under the Anti Terrorism Act.
The rest 12 were released on undertakings but they were now under close surveillance, Maruf said.
Singapore home ministry said in a press release on Wednesday that the 27 persons were arrested between November 16 and December 1 last year and 26 of them were deported to Bangladesh.
‘These Bangladeshi nationals also bore grievances against the Bangladeshi government over its actions against some Bangladeshi Islamic groups and leaders’, it said.
‘The members were encouraged to return to Bangladesh and wage armed jihad against the Bangladeshi government. They had also sent monetary donations to entities believed to be linked to extremist groups in Bangladesh’, Singapore home ministry said.
The release said investigations disclosed that while several members of the group had considered carrying out armed violence overseas, they were not planning any terrorist attacks in Singapore, the press release added.
They were sent back in phases after cancelling their work permits, Bangladesh high commissioner in Singapore told New Age over phone.
The ministry in the press release further said they were part of a ‘religious study group that subscribed to extremist beliefs and teachings of radical ideologues’.
They supported the armed jihad ideology of terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
The remaining Bangladeshi national was not a member of the group, but was found to be in the process of becoming radicalised and was supportive of extremist preachers. He also possessed jihad-related material, the release said.
Bangladesh authorities were informed of the circumstances of their repatriation, the release said.
The remaining Bangladeshi national is currently serving a jail sentence for attempting to leave Singapore through illegal and clandestine means after learning about the arrests of his fellow group members. He will be repatriated to Bangladesh upon completion of his sentence, the release said.
Reuters reported from Singapore that the Singapore minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim said on his Facebook page, ‘I appeal that we be more vigilant, whether against radical teachings and ideologies, or of any suspicious activities around us.’
‘At the same time, I hope we will remain united and not resort to discriminating (against) foreign workers here.’
Singapore broke up plots for militant attacks after the September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda attacks on the United States.
The Singapore home ministry release further said the group members took measures to avoid detection by the authorities. They shared jihadi-related material discreetly among themselves, and held weekly meetings and gatherings where they discussed armed jihad and conflicts that involved Muslims. They also carefully targeted the recruitment of other Bangladeshi nationals to grow their membership.
A number of the group members admitted that they subscribed to the belief that they should participate and wage armed jihad on behalf of their religion. Several of them contemplated travelling to and participating in armed jihad in the Middle East, it said.
A significant amount of radical and jihadi-related material like books and videos, including footages of children undergoing training in what appeared to be terrorist military camps, were recovered from the possession of the group, the release said.
Several members also had a shared document containing graphic images and instruction details on how to conduct ‘silent killings’ using different methods and weapons, it added.