 "After Pakistan, why is Bangladesh hosting India's fugitive preacher Zakir Naik?")
After Pakistan, now Bangladesh is set to roll out the red carpet for controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has reportedly green-lit a nearly month-long visit of the Indian orator to Bangladesh.
Naik’s nationwide tour has been scheduled for November and comes a little over a year after he went on a month-long state visit to Pakistan. Naik, a proponent of the radical Salafi school in Sunni Islam, is wanted in India on money laundering and hate speech charges.
Let’s take a closer look.
Zakir Naik’s Bangladesh visit
The Yunus government has approved Indian fugitive Zakir Naik’s three-week visit to Bangladesh.
His tour will begin on November 28 and conclude on December 20. During his trip, Naik will travel across the South Asian country and deliver a series of sermons, reported India Today.
This will be the Islamic preacher’s first-ever visit to Bangladesh. The approval by the Yunus government is in sharp contrast to the previous Sheikh Hasina government’s move to ban Naik’s Peace TV following the 2016 Dhaka Holey Artisan Bakery terror attack.
Naik’s ‘role’ in Holey Artisan Bakery terror attack
Several gunmen had attacked the Holey Artisan cafe in Dhaka on July 1, 2016, killing 22 people, mostly foreigners, including an Indian girl.
Five militants were killed during a rescue operation, while two police officers and a cafe chef lost their lives during the 12-hour standoff.
The attack was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group. However, Bangladesh disputed this and held the local Neo Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh responsible for the terror attack.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsOne of the gunmen told Bangladeshi investigators that he had been influenced by Naik’s speeches on his YouTube channel.
Within hours of the attack in Dhaka, Naik had fled India. He has remained a fugitive since, settling in Malaysia after being denied visas by Britain and Canada.
India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has accused Naik of encouraging youth to take up terror activities, making hate speeches, and promoting enmity on communal lines.
The Enforcement Directorate has also lodged a complaint against Naik under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in 2019.
India is seeking the controversial preacher’s extradition, but Kuala Lumpur has yet to comply.
Bangladesh’s major shift on Zakir Naik
Bangladesh’s approval of Naik’s tour signals a major policy shift under the government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Since Hasina’s ouster last August, the interim government has freed militants and there have been reports of a surge in attacks on Hindus.
Indian agencies have flagged the rise of radicalisation in Bangladesh under Yunus. According to analysts, Naik’s forthcoming visit is a “well-thought-out one”, reported IANS.
During the visit, he could meet commanders of terror outfits of the Harper-ul-Jihadi Islami (HuJI) and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, Bangladesh (JMB).
Naik’s visit comes a year after he travelled to Pakistan. The Islamic preacher had made several controversial remarks during the month-long visit, ranging from misogynistic to absurd.
In Pakistan, he had met the top leaders of the banned terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), including Muzammil Iqbal Hashmi, Muhammad Harris Dhar, and Faisal Nadeem.
Naik’s “warm welcome” by Pakistan was condemned by India, with the external affairs ministry calling it “disappointing” but “not surprising”.
As per IANS, Pakistan’s spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has sent top commanders of the terror groups, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, to Bangladesh to train members of the HuJI and JMB.
It has cooked up a plan to carry out attacks against India by using Bangladesh-based terror outfits. In such circumstances, Naik’s visit to Pakistan would be a big boost to Pakistan’s anti-India activities.
With inputs from agencies
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