Key Points
Key points
Al-Qaeda Leader al-Zawahiri Urges Jihad Against the “Anti-Islamic” Government of Bangladesh Widespread violence, marked by protest rallies, hartals (general shutdowns), group clashes and bombings have led to massive confrontations between secular and Islamist forces in Bangladesh over the last year. Now, al-Qaeda leader Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri has issued a call for jihad in Bangladesh, the fourth largest Muslim nation in the world.
Al Qaeda has struggled in the past to gain the support of India’s vast Muslim population. But that’s gradually changing, warns Animesh Roul. Today, he outlines how the fragmented organization is trying to attract money and manpower from the third largest Muslim community on the planet.
The recent dismantling of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) modules across India has revealed a meticulously crafted strategy aimed at embedding extremist networks within the country. With a focus on decentralized operations, targeted recruitment, and grassroots radicalization exploiting local vulnerabilities, AQIS seeks to establish its Pan-India terror networks, mostly in remote places, to destabilize the country while advancing its violent jihadist ideology.