A controversial religious event recently took place in Dhaka, Bangladesh which has raised security concerns for India. The event was organised by “Al Markazul Islami” and it attracted several radical Islamist leaders from terrorist groups such as Hamas, the Taliban, and Pakistan-based outfits. The commanders of these extremist factions also delivered sermons at the event.
As per reports, the event was held in Dhaka on 7th October. It was attended by the notorious Hamas cadre, including Sheikh Khaled Quddumi, a spokesperson of the terror outfit, and Sheikh Khaled Mishal, Chairman of Hamas’ Political Bureau.
Additionally, ‘influential’ Islamist figures from Pakistan were also present at the event including Shaikhul Islam Mufti Taqi Usmani and Maulana Fazlur Rahman, both of whom are key ‘figures’ within the country’s radical landscape preaching and promoting radical Islam.
As power dynamics in Dhaka evolve, there are increasing concerns that radical factions could be emboldened to plan attacks or attempt infiltrations into India via the porous India-Bangladesh border. In response, Indian security agencies have heightened their alert levels, anticipating potential incursions by terrorists intent on destabilizing the region, according to sources.
Reports indicate that the sermons delivered during the event promoted radical Islamist ideologies, raising alarms that it could serve as a rallying point for terrorist organizations with wider regional ambitions. The convergence of cadres of various terror outfits has heightened fears of escalating violence and increased terror activities, posing a significant threat not only to India but to the overall stability and security of the South Asian region.
The organization’s founder, Mufti Shahidul Islam, who passed away in 2023, had direct connections to al-Qaeda, and his long history of involvement in terrorism has heightened anxieties regarding the intentions behind this event. Mufti Shahidul Islam, a notorious figure in the Islamist militancy scene in Bangladesh, was previously arrested in 1999 for orchestrating a deadly bomb attack on an Ahmadiyya mosque in Khulna, which claimed eight lives.