UN Report on Al-Qaeda Expansion in Bangladesh Is Based on Assumptions: Home Minister

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said that the United Nations report on the expansion of Al-Qaeda’s activities in Bangladesh is based on assumptions and that the government is not taking the report into consideration.

A recent report by the United Nations Security Council expressed concern over Al-Qaeda’s activities in Bangladesh, bringing the issue of militancy in the country back into discussion. However, the government has maintained that there are currently no militant activities in Bangladesh.  According to the UN report, Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) is attempting to establish permanent bases and clandestine cells in Bangladesh. Law enforcement officials have said they will examine the claims made in the report. 

The report further stated that AQIS is transforming from a fragmented group into a regional terrorist organisation. Instead of operating through large units, the group is reportedly shifting towards small, dispersed cells operating in different locations. The report also claimed that the organisation has developed strong logistical and financial networks to support its activities.

However, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has rejected the assessment, describing the UN report as assumption-based. His comments come amid growing attention to the security concerns raised by the UN monitoring report regarding the possible establishment of AQIS cells in Bangladesh. Earlier, Salahuddin Ahmed had also said that there was currently no militant activity in the country, while acknowledging the need for vigilance against extremist elements.