27 Bangladeshi
nationals arrested in Singapore and repatriated for terror
links
SINGAPORE: The Internal Security Department has arrested 27 male
Bangladeshi nationals working in Singapore, who were planning to
take part in extremist activities in other countries, including
their homeland of Bangladesh. No terrorist acts were planned in
Singapore, the authorities said.
The 27, all working in the construction industry in Singapore,
were arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) between Nov 16
and Dec 1, 2015, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on
Wednesday (Jan 20). All but one have been repatriated to
Bangladesh, with the last set to be repatriated after serving a
jail term for attempting to illegally leave Singapore.
Of those arrested, 26 were members of a closed religious study
group that supported the armed jihad ideology of terrorist groups
like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, said the
MHA. The 26 subscribed to extremist beliefs and teachings of
radical ideologues like Anwar al-Awlaki, the ministry added,
referring to an Al Qaeda-linked extremist teacher who was killed in
Yemen in 2011.
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, and also possessed
jihadi-related material, the MHA 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," said the ministry in its press
release, which listed the names of all 27.
Among the 26 repatriated Bangladeshis, 14 of them have been sent
to jail under the country's Anti-Terrorism Act, said the Bangladesh
High Commission in Singapore.
"The concerned agencies of the Government of Bangladesh produced
them before a court and the court placed them on a four-day remand.
During the remand, they will be interrogated to find out about
their alleged involvement. They will be dealt with in accordance
with the law of the land and if found guilty, legal action will be
taken against them," a spokesman said.
GRIEVANCES AGAINST BANGLADESHI GOVERNMENT
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, MHA said. Several of them contemplated
travelling to and participating in armed jihad in the Middle
East.
Some of the group members supported the violent actions of
extremist groups that killed Shi’ites because they considered
Shi’ites to be “deviant”, the authorities said.
These Bangladeshi nationals also bore grievances against the
Bangladeshi government over its actions against some Bangladeshi
Islamic groups and leaders, according to the press release.
The Dhaka government has cracked down on militants in the
Muslim-majority nation, blaming Islamist political opponents for
instigating violence in the secular nation, and recently upheld the
death penalty for a top Islamist party leader for war crimes
committed decades ago.
Those arrested in Singapore had been encouraged by their leaders
to return to Bangladesh and wage armed jihad against the
Bangladeshi government, said the MHA. They had also sent monetary
donations to entities believed to be linked to extremist groups in
Bangladesh.
A significant quantity of radical and jihadi-related material
including books and videos, as well as footage of children
undergoing training in what appeared to be terrorist military
camps, were recovered from the possession of the group, said the
ministry.
Several members also had a shared document containing graphic
images and instruction details on how to conduct “silent killings”
using different methods and weapons. For example, a copy of one of
the documents, seen by Channel NewsAsia, bore the title “Techniques
of Silent Killing” in English, and contained a step-by-step
illustrated guide on how to stab a seated man.
REPATRIATED
MHA said that the Work Passes of the Bangladeshi nationals have
been cancelled, with 26 of them repatriated to Bangladesh where the
authorities have been informed of the circumstances of their
repatriation.
The remaining Bangladeshi national is currently serving a jail
sentence in Singapore for attempting to leave the Republic via
"illegal and clandestine means" after learning about the arrests of
his fellow group members, the authorities said. He will be
repatriated to Bangladesh upon completion of his sentence.
"The Government takes a very serious view of any form of support
for terrorism and will take firm and decisive action against any
person who engages in any activity in support of terrorism.
Foreigners are guests of our country and they should not abuse this
privilege and use Singapore as a base to import their own domestic
political agenda and carry out activities in pursuit of such an
agenda," said the Home Affairs Ministry.
"In the same way, foreign religious speakers who propagate
divisive doctrines which could lead to mistrust, enmity and hatred
among local religious groups and undermine Singapore’s social
cohesion are not welcomed and will not be allowed to operate in
Singapore.
"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."
MINISTER YAACOB CAUTIONS AGAINST
DISCRIMINATION
Singapore's Minister-in-charge for Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim
also said he was "deeply concerned" about the arrests, and appealed
to Singaporeans to be more vigilant towards radical teachings and
ideologies, or of any suspicious activities.
"I hope we will remain united and not resort to discriminating
foreign workers here," he added. "The actions of a few cannot
determine how we treat others who have worked so hard to build our
homes, schools and hospitals."
The Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC), a non-government organisation
for foreign workers in Singapore, also cautioned against
discrimination.
"The MWC hopes that this incident will not tarnish the
reputation of hardworking and law-abiding migrant workers in
Singapore, regardless of their nationality or religion," it added
in a Facebook post. "Everyone has an important role to play and the
MWC is committed to do its part in helping migrant workers
integrate into our society."
The Mufti of Singapore Dr Mohamed Fatris Bakaram spoke out
against extremism following news of the arrests. "They contradict
the fundamental Islamic teaching of protecting the sanctity of
human life and preserving peace and harmony at all times. The
safety and peace of Singapore is of paramount interest to the
Singapore Muslim community," he said.
"Just as we have shown the beauty of Islam in being able to live
with other faith communities, so too should we refrain from
intolerance within our own community. Exclusivist and isolationist
tendencies will only lead to extreme religious thinking and
practice, which is unacceptable and goes against the very essence
of Islamic teachings."
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) called on the
Singapore Muslim community to remain vigilant and uphold resilience
against radicalism. It also said it will step up efforts to prevent
any form of radical teachings from taking root in the Singaporean
Muslim community.
Anyone who knows or suspects that a person has been radicalised,
or is engaging in extremist activities or propagating extremist
teachings, should promptly inform the Internal Security Department
at 1800-2626 473 or the police by calling 999, said the MHA.
- CNA
