Radicalised Bangladeshis in Singapore
We take the developments regarding Bangladeshis' involvement in terrorism in Singapore very seriously, for though the conspiracy—for which six Bangladeshi workers have been charged with terror financing—was hatched in Singapore, it dealt with the alleged toppling of the government in Bangladesh. In fact, Bangladesh owes Singapore a debt of gratitude for unearthing the ominous plot to destabilise the country, and must fully cooperate with the latter in providing whatever intel its agencies have. We must also establish a formal collaboration between the two countries to unearth terror outfits with a regional reach.
What is unfortunate is that our first reaction always seems to be that of denial and of downplaying the threat posed by these extremist groups, even as we vow to get to the bottom of the militant activities in the country. Whether or not the groups in question have ties to ISIS or Al Qaeda, there is enough evidence to suggest that militant organisations in the country do have international links, and the sooner we wake up to this reality the better it would enable us to tackle the issue of rising extremism head-on.
This is not the first time that Bangladeshi migrants in Singapore have been accused of extremism. On January of this year, 26 Bangladeshis were arrested for allegedly supporting a jihadi terror cell and later deported to Bangladesh. Upon their arrival, however, 12 of them were allowed to go free. We cannot help but wonder if sufficient action is being taken on the ground here to uncover the complicity of Bangladeshis in orchestrating terror from abroad.
Meanwhile, as these alleged extremists are tried in court, we urge the Singapore government to ensure that its repercussions do not fall on the rest of the dedicated Bangladeshi workers who may now be marked for their origins, even though they have no ties to extremists.
Comments