Bangladeshi man arrested in Singapore after buying weapons to kill Hindus in his country and ‘fight for Kashmir’

Singapore’s security agencies have arrested a Bangladeshi man who they claim was plotting attacks against Hindus in his home country and fight for Kashmir. The arrest was part of a crackdown during which Singaporean authorities initiated counter-terrorism probes against 37 people, including the Bangladeshi man.

In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that counter-terrorism investigations into the suspicious activities of 37 people in Singapore have been carried out after most of them posted on social media, inciting violence or stoking community unrest in the aftermath of the terror attacks in France.

Of the 37 people, 14 are Singaporeans and 23 foreigners, mostly Bangladeshis, it said.

“The 14 Singaporeans comprise 10 males and four females, and are aged between 19 and 62 years old. Most of them had, in response to the recent terror attacks in France, made social media postings which incited violence or stoked communal unrest,” the ministry said.

One Bangladeshi man under investigation – identified as 26-year-old Ahmed Faysal – has been arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) following investigations into “terrorism-related activities”, the ministry said.

He even bought foldable knives, which he claimed he would use for attacks against Hindus in Bangladesh, it said, adding that he was also willing to travel to Kashmir to fight against “perceived enemies of Islam”.

In mid-2019, Faysal shifted his allegiance to Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), another militant group fighting to establish an Islamic caliphate in Syria.

“He donated funds to a Syria-based organisation on the understanding that his donations would benefit the HTS’ cause in Syria,” the ministry said.