Threat for more ‘IS attacks in Dhaka’

Security experts worried over Twitter threat

The recent militant attack at Holey Artisan Bakery has raised concerns over the possibility of similar attacks in other public places in the near future. A tweet doing the rounds on social media has fuelled speculation in this regard. Sent from the account of one Kamil Ahmed, it says, “Next Attack Jamuna Future Park #Mission20July.” In the comments section of this tweet, another person said, “Why you are attacking Bangladesh? What is your problem? Please mention (sic).”
In reply, Kamil Ahmed said, “We are defending Islam from non Muslim (sic).” This tweet has sparked anxiety among law enforcement personnel and security experts. MD Abdul Baten, joint commissioner of the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), told The Independent that they were taking it seriously. “We're investigating the matter. We've already beefed up security in and around Jamuna Future Park,” he said.
When asked if this threat has been issued by IS, Baten said he could not say anything about it. “The attack on the Gulshan restaurant is being investigated. We can't confirm anything as of now,” he added.
Security expert Maj. Gen. (retd) Abdur Rashid said the government must take the tweet seriously. “There is no scope of taking things lightly in the present situation. We have to remain alert about possible terrorist attacks,” he added.
Rashid also said that law enforcement agencies should seek the help of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to locate the person behind the Twitter account. “The BTRC should aid the police in locating the place of origin of the tweet,” he added.
He further said that it could not be confirmed if this threat has been made by IS. “Terrorists are present in Bangladesh. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are IS members. There are some home-grown terrorist groups. They might carry out attacks in the name of IS to get their patronage,” he added.
The security expert said he was certain after analysing the pattern of the attack that the one or two attackers involved the Gulshan restaurant massacre had received training from IS.
It is to be noted that Amaq and Dabiq, the propaganda magazines of the Islamic militant group, have claimed responsibility for the Gulshan restaurant massacre. Amaq posted photos of bodies inside the Gulshan restaurant along with the photos of the attackers.
A significant part of the last issue of Dabiq magazine was devoted to IS operations in Bangladesh. It published an interview with Sheikh Abu Ibrahim al-Hanif, who is supposedly leading IS operations in Bangladesh (referred to as ‘Bengal’ throughout the interview).
Abu Ibrahim claimed that Muslims in the region, especially those in Burma, lived under oppression from Buddhists and Hindus. He said the militant outfit hoped to strengthen its jihad within Bangladesh before moving to Burma (Myanmar). “We believe the Shariah in Bengal won’t be achieved until the local Hindus are targeted in huge numbers,” he said in the interview. He criticised Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamist political party of Bangladesh, for not implementing the “law of Allah” during its tenure in power from 2001 to 2006. He said Bangladesh was important for global jihad because of its geographical position and proximity to India. “Having a strong jihad base in Bengal will facilitate guerrilla attacks inside India simultaneously from both sides (east and west),” he said in the interview.

Threat for more IS attacks in Dhaka

Security experts worried over Twitter threat

The recent militant attack at Holey Artisan Bakery has raised concerns over the possibility of similar attacks in other public places in the near future. A tweet doing the rounds on social media has fuelled speculation in this regard. Sent from the account of one Kamil Ahmed, it says, Next Attack Jamuna Future Park #Mission20July. In the comments section of this tweet, another person said, Why you are attacking Bangladesh? What is your problem? Please mention (sic). In reply, Kamil Ahmed said, We are defending Islam from non Muslim (sic). This tweet has sparked anxiety among law enforcement personnel and security experts. MD Abdul Baten, joint commissioner of the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), told The Independent that they were taking it seriously. Were investigating the matter. Weve already beefed up security in and around Jamuna Future Park, he said. When asked if this threat has been issued by IS, Baten said he could not say anything about it. The attack on the Gulshan restaurant is being investigated. We cant confirm anything as of now, he added. Security expert Maj. Gen. (retd) Abdur Rashid said the government must take the tweet seriously. There is no scope of taking things lightly in the present situation. We have to remain alert about possible terrorist attacks, he added. Rashid also said that law enforcement agencies should seek the help of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to locate the person behind the Twitter account. The BTRC should aid the police in locating the place of origin of the tweet, he added. He further said that it could not be confirmed if this threat has been made by IS. Terrorists are present in Bangladesh. But this doesnt necessarily mean that they are IS members. There are some home-grown terrorist groups. They might carry out attacks in the name of IS to get their patronage, he added. The security expert said he was certain after analysing the pattern of the attack that the one or two attackers involved the Gulshan restaurant massacre had received training from IS. It is to be noted that Amaq and Dabiq, the propaganda magazines of the Islamic militant group, have claimed responsibility for the Gulshan restaurant massacre. Amaq posted photos of bodies inside the Gulshan restaurant along with the photos of the attackers. A significant part of the last issue of Dabiq magazine was devoted to IS operations in Bangladesh. It published an interview with Sheikh Abu Ibrahim al-Hanif, who is supposedly leading IS operations in Bangladesh (referred to as Bengal throughout the interview). Abu Ibrahim claimed that Muslims in the region, especially those in Burma, lived under oppression from Buddhists and Hindus. He said the militant outfit hoped to strengthen its jihad within Bangladesh before moving to Burma (Myanmar). We believe the Shariah in Bengal wont be achieved until the local Hindus are targeted in huge numbers, he said in the interview. He criticised Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamist political party of Bangladesh, for not implementing the law of Allah during its tenure in power from 2001 to 2006. He said Bangladesh was important for global jihad because of its geographical position and proximity to India. Having a strong jihad base in Bengal will facilitate guerrilla attacks inside India simultaneously from both sides (east and west), he said in the interview.