Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), these words when stringed together can evoke terror in the bravest of hearts whether that heart belongs to a Christian, a Muslim or a Hindu. Each of us is now well aware of their growing power, the attacks in Paris, blasts at the Brussels airport and now the recent Orlando shootings are all being linked to ISIS with the tag 'act of terrorism'.
Keeping their ever growing roots in mind it'll be foolish to assume that ISIS has not set its shop anywhere except the middle east. As a matter of fact according to Dr Richard L. Benkin 'ISIS is now well established in South Asia.'
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His findings prove that the tech-savvy terrorist group is not only a threat to the American nation but to the entire world. Bangladesh, a nation that shares borders with India, is unsurprisingly the best playground for the group to spread radicalization. The said statement being true for many reasons.
Muslim student spread ISIS ideology among youth in West Bengal – National Investigation Agency (NIA). Image source: www.terrorscoop.com
Bangladesh is a nation well affected by poverty in all its areas which results in good chances of obtaining potential recruits. Adding to that it's a nation with the majority of its population belonging to the Muslim community hence overpowering the minority Hindu's.
Many believe, there is an unholy nexus between the Bangladeshi policeman and political parties. All of the reasons together prove Bangladesh to be a safe haven for a terrorist organisation. An example of which could be seen in the eradication of many religious leaders, activists and also in the ethnic cleansing of the Hindus and other minorities.
Speaking of the statistics, the population of Hindus due to the radical acts by the group in Bangladesh has reached an endangered species level with the number plummeting down below 'one in every eleven citizens'.
Bangladesh sharing its border with India. Image source: Wikimedia Commons
According to the indiapost.com report, Dr Richard L. Benkin claims that his associates in Dhaka, Bangladesh identified a house that was the centre of carrying out all activities by ISIS but the government and other authorities in Bangladesh and in India turned a blind eye to the information. He also made a point by stating that all the arrests made for the murders of civilians are in a way a source of income for the Bangladeshi police.
Taking the 8000-20,000 Taka bribe for springing the prisoners and thereby protecting the personal interests of political leaders is only a better business decision than helping him try to break the myth of Bangladesh being a 'moderate Muslim nation.'
Benkin, an Economist verified first hand that India is no alien to ISIS's presence and there exists an ISIS cell operating in Kolkata. He says that those familiar with the state of West Bengal know that it followed an open borders policy that set the groundwork for the radical activity we see today in West Bengal. Narrating his experiences in the villages he visited he talks about a young mother who dealt with inactivity from the West Bengal police when her daughter was abducted by the radicals and a story of another young woman he met who refused Islamist demands that they leave their land.
Narrating his experiences in the villages he visited, Benkin talks about a young mother who dealt with inactivity from the West Bengal police when her daughter was abducted by the radicals and a story of another young woman he met who refused Islamist demands that they leave their land.
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India is ISIS' next big target but there's an 'Ignorance is bliss' kind of attitude towards everything documented by Dr Benkin and his associates. This is the sole reason ISIS is well established in South Asia and has created a strong presence in Kolkata, now making its way to more parts of India by eradicating its allies.
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