Singapore cancels work permits of 2 Bangladeshi workers over extremist social media posts
They had been repatriated to Bangladesh following separate investigations into their online activities.
Singapore has cancelled the work permits of two Bangladeshi nationals over allegations of posting extremist content on social media, The Straits Times reported today (17 July), citing the country's Internal Security Department (ISD).
The ISD said the two men – Tayani Md Risad, 25, and Islam Sahedul, 37 – had been repatriated to Bangladesh following separate investigations into their online activities.
According to the ISD, Risad had expressed support on social media for Bangladeshi radical Islamist writer Shafiur Rahman Farabi, who has been accused of inciting violence against secular and atheist bloggers. Farabi has also allegedly been linked to Hizb ut-Tahrir, a fundamentalist Islamist organisation banned in Bangladesh.
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Sahedul, meanwhile, allegedly posted inflammatory content related to the Israel-Iran conflict and shared divisive religious views, including describing Muslims who do not support governance under Islamic law as infidels, the report said.
The ISD said the two cases were unrelated to previously disclosed investigations involving self-radicalised individuals under Singapore's Internal Security Act.
An ISD spokesperson told the Straits Times that investigations found no indication that either man intended to carry out terrorist attacks or had engaged in terrorism-related activities in Singapore.
"However, their extremist and divisive views are inimical to Singapore's multiracial and multi-religious society," the spokesperson said.
Both men had been employed in Singapore's construction sector.
The duo were detained upon their arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on 8 July.
