On Friday, June 27, 2025, the Royal Malaysian Police officially announced the arrest of 36 Bangladeshi nationals accused of being part of a jihadist movement aiming to spread the Islamic State (ISIS) ideology in Malaysia. The arrests were carried out over multiple phases between April 24 and May 10, 2025, during coordinated counter-terrorism operations in the states of Selangor and Johor. According to police, the suspects were part of an underground network attempting to recruit fellow Muslim migrants for jihad, raise funds for jihad activities, and undermine regional security through the propagation of violent Islamic narratives.
According to Malaysia’s Home Minister, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, the detained suspects were actively working to promote ISIS ideologies. Intelligence gathered by a Special Branch of the Royal Malaysian Police revealed that the group had been operating in secrecy, using informal community networks to identify and recruit individuals susceptible to jihadist narratives. Officials said the accused were also involved in collecting financial contributions meant for overseas jihad organizations, a practice that directly violates Malaysia’s strict anti-terror laws.
Out of the 36 Bangladeshi nationals detained, five have been officially charged under Chapter VIA of the Penal Code, which pertains to terrorism-related offenses. They were presented before the Sessions Courts in Shah Alam and Johor Bahru and tried for aiding terrorist activities, supplying resources to jihadist groups, and posing threats to national security. Another 15 individuals identified as jihadis have been served with deportation orders, while the remaining 16 are still in custody, as authorities continue to investigate their potential roles and level of involvement.
The Malaysian government has reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on terrorism and foreign jihadist influence. Minister Saifuddin stated that the crackdown was proof of Malaysia’s firm commitment to preserving national security and preventing its territory from being used as a base for global terror networks. He attributed the success of the operation to the dedication and alertness of the nation’s security forces, stressing that under the “Madani Government” framework, Malaysia remains committed to taking proactive measures to detect and neutralize such threats before they intensify.
Malaysia, home to over half a million Bangladeshi migrant workers, grapples with serious challenges in managing undocumented labor and curbing the risk of jihad recruitment among these communities. Security experts have raised alarms that Islamic groups could quietly disseminate jihadist ideology among the at-risk section of migrants, evading detection by national security agencies. As usual, the Muslim-pandering human rights organizations have popped up against the “blanket criminalization of foreign labor groups,” but Malaysian officials insist that the operations were highly targeted and based on verified intelligence.
Legal proceedings against the five charged suspects are underway, and could serve as a legal precedent for future anti-terrorism cases. Those slated for deportation will be handed over to Bangladeshi authorities. Meanwhile, investigations into the remaining detainees are ongoing, as officials work to uncover the full extent of the network’s reach and affiliations.
By disrupting what appears to be a potential recruitment and funding hub for ISIS, these arrests delivered a much-needed message of remaining vigilant and uncompromising in its counter-terrorism efforts.
In recent years, Bangladesh has increasingly emerged as a hotspot for jihad activity in South Asia and the Western world, and a surge in Islamic jihad recruitment has led to the spread of jihadist ideologies with links to global terror networks.
In 2016, the Dhaka Holey Artisan Bakery attack shocked the world when ISIS-linked jihadis killed 22 people, including foreigners. Bangladeshi national Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis attempted to bomb the Federal Reserve in 2012; he was arrested in New York, and has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. Another Bangladeshi immigrant named Akayed Ullah was convicted of the 2017 Times Square subway pipe bomb attack in New York, inspired by ISIS ideologies. Indian authorities in 2017 arrested a Bangladeshi named Abdullah al Mamun for operating an Ansarullah Bangla Team terror cell in Uttar Pradesh linked to ISIS‑style recruitment and fake identities. In 2021, Bangladeshi national Mohammed Abdul Mannan Bachu was arrested in West Bengal, India, accused of online jihad recruitment for Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). He was alleged to have arranged fake Indian IDs for operatives infiltrating India. Another Bangladeshi named Najiur Rahman Pavel was also arrested the same year in Kolkata, and later sentenced by India’s NIA to six years imprisonment for financing JMB operations via hundi (informal money transfers), intending to destabilize India. In December 2024, Indian authorities arrested eight operatives, including Md Sad Radi, a Bangladeshi national from Assam, West Bengal, and Kerala. They were linked to sleeper-cell networks under Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an Al-Qaeda affiliate. ABT Chief Jasimuddin Rahmani reportedly directed Radi from Bangladesh. Earlier this year, West Bengal’s STF apprehended Ajmol Hossain and Saheb Ali Khan for plotting attacks in India, recruiting members, and spreading jihadist JMB ideology.
Experts warn that lax enforcement, the online jihad recruitment of Muslim youth, and cross-border networks have allowed terror groups to embed themselves in Bangladesh’s Islamic society. Unless urgently addressed, this trend will impact the region and further global jihadist agendas.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
I’m not remotely surprised at there being Bangladeshi jihadists w/ an allegiance to ISIS. What is surprising is Malaysia arresting them, given that Malaysia itself is a champion of jihad & dawa movements, and is now home to Zakir Naik
Stephen says
I suspect Singapore influence is why you would see this here versus other areas of Malaysia. The area mentioned Johor Bahru shares the worlds busiest daily traffic boarder directly crossing to SG who depends on these workers many from Bangladesh who cross daily for various construction and labor jobs. Mayalsia equally depends on Singapore and the two walk a tight rope of ethnic tensions together to keep it going. Maylasia police will act as an extension of SG when intelligence is shared to prevent bad seeds growing. SG does not tolerate and cracks down on such things, even if doing so quietly. They are surrounded and know it so put out the embers and do not fan the flames.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Nowhere in the story did they suggest that these Bangladeshis are gathered at Johor Bahru instead of Kuala Lumpur or other provinces of Malaya. Where did you get that from?
abu taleb says
It proves what the Islamists really want os to have power for themselves. The Islamists in Malaysia do not want Islamic State in Malaysia because they hold the power now.
It will be different case if they don’t have the power in the country, then they will embrace Islamic State hoping it will help them raising to the top.