A Singapore court has sentenced four Bangladeshi workers to jail terms of up to five years for allegedly planned attacks linked to the Islamic State group in Bangladesh. The four are Mizanur Rahman, 31, Rubel Miah, 26, Md Jabath Kysar alias Haje Norul Islam Sowdagar, 31, and Sohel Hawlader alias Ismail Hawlader, 29. Prosecutors said the men, who pleaded guilty on May 31, had contributed part of their salary to buy food, arms and weapons like knives and pistols to launch attacks in their country. The Ministry of Home Affairs in Singapore has said the group’s suspected leader, Rahman Mizanur, possessed guides on making weapons and bombs. They were charged with providing or collecting money to fund terrorist acts in Bangladesh. In sentencing Rahman to five years in jail on Tuesday, District Judge Kessler Soh emphasized that a deterrent sentence and “much stiffer punishment is warranted.” Sohel was given 24 months while Miah and Jabath each got 30 months. All the sentences will be backdated to May 27, the day the men first appeared in court. The four were part of a group of six charged under the Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act (TSOFA) – the first time the Act has been used for prosecution. The other two – Daulat Zaman, 34 and Leakot Ali, 29 – have denied the charges and are claiming trial. In all, the six had contributed sums of $60 to $500 to the cause. The six were among eight men arrested between late March and early April this year. Working in the marine and construction industries, they called themselves the Islamic State in Bangladesh (ISB). : Source: AP & Straight Times
