Latest Articles about Bangladesh
Terror Financing Tricks in Bangladesh: Self-Donations, Expatriate Remittances, and Robbery
Executive Summary: The issue of terror financing has become a front and center challenge in Bangladesh. Militants use "self-donations," remittances through the hundi system, robbery, and front businesses to finance their operations. This is particularly important due to the revelation of connections between Jama’atul Ansar... MORE
Ikramul Haque: From Madrassa Student to AQIS Recruiter in India and Bangladesh
Executive Summary Ikramul Haque, deputy head of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and head of the group's propaganda wing, was arrested in Bangladesh in May 2023. His story of recruitment and radicalization highlights AQIS’s cross-border coordination and recruitment in India and Bangladesh, particularly through... MORE
Jewel Ali: The Founder of Imam Mahmuder Kafela in Bangladesh
Executive Summary The charismatic leader of a new Bangladeshi terrorist group called Imam Mahmuder Kafela (IMK), Jewel Ali, was recently arrested. Despite his arrest, Ali’s ability to fundraise, organize, and promote his ideology on social media combine with the persistent popularity of his message to... MORE
Jewel Molla: From Bakery Worker to Captured Founder and Leader of TUJ
Between September 13 and 16, Bangladesh’s Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) uncovered a newly formed jihadist group, Tawhidul Uluhiah al-Jihadi (TUJ), which was recruiting members for attacks planned for 2024 (The Daily Star, September 27). Jewel Molla, TUJ's founder, emerged on the jihadist scene rapidly at just... MORE
Jamaatul Ansar: A Terrorism Threat in Bangladesh Before the 2024 Elections?
In mid-2022, Bangladeshi police stumbled upon a burgeoning Islamist militant conglomerate called Jamaatul-Ansar-fil-Hindal Sharqiya (Assembly of the Helpers in the East of India, or “Jamaatul Ansar”) while investigating youth disappearances in the country. More than 50 youths have reportedly left their homes to join Islamist... MORE
Recruitment and Radicalization Behind Bars in Bangladesh
On January 24, 2023, Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) announced that “during [a prisoner named] Ranbir’s stay in jail, he interacted with some arrested militants at various times. Among those he came in contact with were top leaders of Jamatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh (JMB)” (dailysun.com, January... MORE
Security Risks Rise in Rohingya Refugee Camps on the Myanmar-Bangladeshi Border
As Rohingya refugee camps near the Naf river (which partially separates Bangladesh and Myanmar) become hubs for organized crime and militants, Bangladeshi authorities fear spillover effects for Bangladesh and for the region more broadly. Refugee camps have mushroomed along Bangladesh's southeastern border since August 2017... MORE
Ansar al-Islam Bangladesh’s Unchecked Online Recruitment Campaign
Ansar al-Islam Bangladesh’s Unchecked Online Recruitment Campaign Animesh Roul In late December 2021, Bangladeshi counter-terrorism agencies warned about the possible resurgence of Ansar al-Islam Bangladesh (AIB), which also functions as an official wing of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and staunchly supports the Afghan... MORE
In the Name of the Mahdi: An In-depth Look at Bangladeshi Militant and Propagandist Mushtaq Arman Khan
In early May 2020, the Bangladeshi police counter-terrorism unit arrested 17 members of the banned terrorist group, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), in Dhaka. At the time of the arrest, the JMB operatives planned to join Imam Mahdi, the spiritual redeemer of Islam, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.... MORE
Mufti Amir Hamza Fuels Bangladeshi Extremism Through ‘Wa’z Mehfils’
Introduction On May 5, Bangladeshi police arrested Mohammad Shakib and Ali Hasan Osama, two members of the al-Qaeda-linked Ansar al-Islam terrorist group. They were arrested for “planning and instigating” an attack on the National Parliament (also called the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban) in the capital Dhaka.... MORE