Several months on after 27 Bangladeshi construction workers were arrested here under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for contemplating armed jihad in their homeland, eight more were detained for the very same thing.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a statement about the detention of eight radicalised male Bangladeshi nationals — aged between 26 and 34 — last month. Employed in local construction and marine industries, they were part of a clandestine group that called themselves the Islamic State in Bangladesh (ISB).
Set up by 31-year-old ringleader Rahman Mizanur in March, he recruited the other seven with the intention to topple their government through violent means to establish an Islamic State. They had originally intended to join the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), but found it difficult to make their way to Syria.
These dudes seemed more determined in their commitment to the terrorist agenda too — the men had identified possible targets for attack in Bangladesh. Some of which included the Border Guard of Bangladesh, the Air Force, the Minister, Media Peoples (sic), and non-Muslims. Various radical documents were also found on them, including a bomb-making instruction manual and a user manual for a sniper rifle.
ISB had also planned to recruit other Bangladeshi nationals working in Singapore into their group, and even raised the money to purchase firearms to carry out their attacks.
“ISB poses a security concern to Singapore because of its support for ISIS and its readiness to resort to the use of violence overseas. The detained ISB members are still under investigation for their activities in Singapore,” MHA wrote.
“Rahman Mizanur has said he would carry out an attack anywhere if he was instructed by ISIS to do so, though there are no specific indications that Singapore had as yet been selected as a target.”
Five other Bangladeshi workers in Singapore were also investigated under the ISA — though they weren’t involved in ISB, they possessed jihadi-related materials and supported the use of radical armed violence. They’ve since been repatriated back to Bangladesh.
“Any person, foreigner or otherwise, who engages in any activity that is inimical to Singapore’s national security and racial and religious harmony will be firmly dealt with under the law,” MHA concluded.
“In this connection, foreigners should not import their own domestic political agenda into Singapore and carry out activities here in pursuit of such an agenda.”
Reader Interactions