Staff Reporter :Twenty-six Bangladeshis arrested in Singapore earlier for their alleged involvement with militant groups, have been sent back home in batches in November and December last.According to the Foreign Ministry sources, there has been no case against them and they were the followers of Ahle Hadith and used to invite people to accept Islam as religion. When contacted Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque said they know the arrest of Bangladeshis in Singapore.”We have not taken any initiative regarding the issue yet. Bangladesh High Commissioner in Singapore is looking into matter,” he said. The Foreign Ministry is likely to receive a report from Bangladesh Mission in Singapore over the matter on Thursday. Meanwhile, the identity of another person among total 27 could not be known immediately.However, the Singapore based national daily The Straits Times and the Channel News Asia, Singapore on Wednesday reported that at least twenty-seven Bangladeshis working in Singapore have been arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA).Investigations showed that they supported the armed jihad ideology of terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).Some of them considered waging armed jihad in overseas lands, but they were not planning any terrorist attack in Singapore, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday.The men, who were working in the construction industry there, were detained between Nov 16 and Dec 1 last year.The 26 members were of a closed religious study group that subscribed to extremist beliefs and teachings of radical figures like Anwar al-Awlaki, an American and Yemeni Islamic lecturer alleged to have ties with militant group Al-Qaeda. Awlaki was killed in a drone strike in Yemen in September 2011.The other man was not a member of the study group, but was suspected to have been undergoing radicalisation. He supported extremist preachers and possessed jihadi-related material.All 27 have had their work permits cancelled, and 26 of them have since been repatriated to Bangladesh, where the authorities were informed of the circumstances of their repatriation.The last person is now in prison for attempting to leave Singapore illegally after learning of his fellow members’ arrests. He will also be repatriated once he completes his sentence.In the course of their arrests, the Internal Security Department recovered a “significant amount” of radical and jihadi-related materials, such as books and videos containing footage of children undergoing training in what appeared to be terrorist military camps.Several members also possessed a shared document with graphic images and instruction details on how to conduct “silent killings” using different methods and weapons.The group members took measures to avoid detection by the authorities, sharing jihadi-related materials discreetly and holding weekly gatherings to discuss armed conflicts involving Muslims, said MHA.They also bore grievances against the Bangladeshi government over its actions against some Islamic groups and leaders.The government takes a serious view of any form of support for terrorism.Any person – foreigner or otherwise – who engaged in any activity that threatens to harm Singapore’s national security and racial and religious harmony will be firmly dealt with under the law.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,” MHA said.Among the 26 Bangladeshis repatriated, 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. 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 Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC), a non-government organization for foreign workers in Singapore, also cautioned against discrimination.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. 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.
