Wednesday 20 January 2016

Singapore says arrests 27 Bangladeshi Islamists, deports 26

  • A combination of undated Ministry of Home Affairs handout mugshots, distributed on January 20, 2016, of Bangladeshi construction workers who have been arrested between November 16 and December 1, 2015 under the Internal Security Act in Singapore for supporting Islamist groups including al Qaeda and Islamic State. (Top row L-R) Md Zafor Iqbal Abul Hossain, Md Zahidul Islam, Md Foyej Uddin, (middle row L-R) Mollah Md Shah Alam, Nurul Amin Younus Mulla, Parvej Dolar, Sarder Polash, (bottom row L-R) Sujan Sha Alam, Sumon Md Jakaria Hossen and Tarikuzzaman Rejaul Hossain. REUTERS/Ministry of Home Affairs/HandoutView PhotoA combination of undated Ministry of Home Affairs handout mugshots, distributed on …
  • A combination of undated Ministry of Home Affairs handout mugshots, distributed on January 20, 2016, of Bangladeshi construction workers who had been arrested between November 16 and December 1, 2015 under the Internal Security Act in Singapore for supporting Islamist groups including al Qaeda and Islamic State. (Top row L-R), Hossain Mohammad Faruk, Hossain Mohammad Sajib, Hossen Md Akram, (middle row L-R) Islam Saiful, Jasim Md, Jewel Shaikh Khorshad Ali, (bottom row L-R) Mamun Al, Md Rowshan Alam Md Rezaul Karim and Md Sanuar Hossain Md Amjad Hossain. REUTERS/Ministry of Home Affairs/HandoutView PhotoA combination of undated Ministry of Home Affairs handout mugshots, distributed on …
  • A combination of undated Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs handout mugshots, distributed on January 20, 2016, of Bangladeshi construction workers who had been arrested between November 16 and December 1, 2015 under the Internal Security Act in Singapore for supporting Islamist groups including al Qaeda and Islamic State. From top L-R: Alam Khurshed, Alam Mahabub, Ali Abdul, (middle row L-R) Ali Md Ashraf, Alim Abdul, Aminur, (bottom row L-R) Golam Jilani Abdur Rouf, Haque Md Mofazzal and Hasan Md Mahmudul. REUTERS/Ministry of Home Affairs/HandoutView PhotoA combination of undated Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs handout mugshots, …
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore, a wealthy multi-ethnic city state, arrested 27 Bangladeshi construction workers who supported Islamist groups including al Qaeda and Islamic State and deported 26 of them, the government said on Wednesday.
The 27 were arrested in November and December, the home ministry said. Twenty-six were deported, while the last one was jailed for attempting to leave Singapore illegally after hearing of the arrest of the others, the home ministry said.
Twelve of the 26 have since been jailed in Bangladesh on "terror charges", Bangladeshi police said.
The Singapore investigation revealed that several members of the group had considered carrying out armed violence overseas, but did not plan any attack in Singapore. Some of them had contemplated taking part in armed jihad in the Middle East, the ministry said.
"I appeal that we be more vigilant, whether against radical teachings and ideologies, or of any suspicious activities around us," Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim said on his Facebook page.
"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 Sept. 11, 2001, al Qaeda attacks on the United States. Recently, concern has been growing in countries around the world about individuals joining the cause of the Islamic State.
The Bangladeshis were encouraged to return home and wage armed jihad against the government in Dhaka, and tried to recruit other Bangladeshis to their group, the ministry said.
The announcement came a week after an attack by suicide bombers and gunmen in the heart of Jakarta, the capital of neighbouring Indonesia, highlighting the growing threat Southeast Asia faces from radicalised Muslims. [nL3N14Z04D] [nL3N15006Z]
Maruf Hossain Sardar, a deputy commissioner of Bangladesh police, said 14 of the 26 had been jailed on "terror charges".
"We have freed 12 others after interrogation, but we are monitoring their activities," he told Reuters.
Last year, two foreigners and five bloggers were killed in Bangladesh amid a rise in Islamist violence in which members of minority Muslim sects and other religious groups have also been targeted. [nL3N13L46Z]
(Reporting by Rujun Shen in Singapore and Ruma Paul in Dhaka; Editing by Nick Macfie)
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