A SINGAPORE anti-terrorism court on Tuesday sentenced four expatriate Bangladeshi workers on charge of floating a clandestine party “Islamic State, Bangladesh to topple the government in Dhaka and replace it by an Islamic government”. In fact about a dozen were initially arrested in April but most of them were deported in Bangladesh immediately. The four were working in Singapore as semi-skilled workers and were found guilty for frequently meeting in two local parks of the city-state. The verdict has given various terms from 60 months to 24 months to the convicts however not based on carrying out of attack in their host country but for planning such act to be carried out back in Bangladesh. The court said one of the convicts was found possessing Singapore dollar 1360 which was meant for financing terror attacks. Bangladesh is already in big trouble from target killing of individuals to high profile militant attacks putting a scandalous face of the nation to the global community. University educated youths from wealthy families carried out the two recent attacks killing locals and foreign nationals in huge number. In this situation, conviction of four Bangladeshi nationals in Singapore for planning militant attacks back in Bangladesh is adding a sense of more remorse and frustration at all levels. We don’t want to be identified as a nation of criminals and militants where the common people are always peace-loving and hard working. Even our expatriate workers are praised in their host countries for their sincerity and devotion to work but the latest developments at home and abroad are highly damaging to our positive image we earned over the years. Our workers in Singapore are praised by their employers but the scandalous involvement of few is making all our workers suspects. But what makes us unhappy however is how meetings by few Bangladeshi workers in Singapore parks may be the significant evidence of planning militant attacks to topple Bangladesh government. It seems to be too simple. Moreover, possession of few hundred dollars is not also convincing evidence of financing terrorism. Convicts may have made confession in fear of being in foreign country. Our embassy officials in Singapore also did not play a strong role. Our government should go for a judicial review of the verdict to recheck whether some innocent poor workers have become prey to unjust manipulation to harm the job opportunities available for our workers in Singapore. It is also important for our existing helpful relations with Singapore. Any Bangladeshi now visits Singapore feels hesitant.
