The primary aim of the Islamic State is declaring a Caliphate and ensure that the entire world is governed by Islam. However, the Islamic State is clearly not in any position to declare a worldwide Caliphate and hence is chasing region-wise goals. For instance, it says it has a Caliphate in Iraq and the neighbouring regions.
There is another one in Africa. However, its most dangerous outfit is in Afghanistan, and it goes by the name Islamic State Khorasan. In January a message was sent out by a little-known outlet called the Al-Bengali Media which said that they were in the process of setting up the Islamic State Bengal Province.
Although there is not much chatter at the moment online, the message cannot be taken lightly. This is not exactly a new plan by the Islamic State. It always wanted an exclusive terror group that would operate in Bengal. However, what is different this time is that the Islamic State Bengal Province would cover Bengal, Bangladesh and all the northeastern states. The poster that the Al-Bengali Media has put out speaks about the oppression of Muslims in the region.
It calls on all Muslims in the region to rise and fight this oppression. An Intelligence Bureau official tells Organiser that the plans to set up such a module in this region was always a plan that the Islamic State had. It has added more states this time. It has deliberately chosen Bengal and Bangladesh as its primary operating areas as it feels that the time has come to get the Muslims of Bengal and Bangladesh together and then form a strong terror outfit. The addition of northeast is also with the intention of covering a large region.
There are scores of Muslims in the northeastern states. Like in the case of Bengal, the northeastern states too have faced for several years illegal immigration. Lakhs have settle in these states and in some areas the demographic change has been such that Muslims have overtaken the Hindus who used to be the majority community.
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