Bangladeshi invited to preach at migrant worker dorm had purported terror links
A 51-year-old Singaporean man has been charged in court after he allegedly invited a foreigner to preach at a migrant worker dorm in Tuas.
Abdus Sattar allegedly organised the event at Lantana Lodge in Tuas, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a news release on Thursday (27 March).
Source: Google Maps
2 Bangladeshis allegedly invited to migrant worker dorm, 1 of them to preach
On 9 Aug 2024 — Singapore’s 59th National Day — Sattar invited two Bangladeshi nationals to a religious public assembly that he had organised at the dorm along Tech Park Crescent.
One of them, Hamza Md Amir @ Amir Hamza, allegedly preached to the migrant workers present.
Amir Hamza. Source: Mufti Amir Hamza on X
The other person, Ullah Mohammed Neamat, allegedly performed songs to the crowd.
Event took place without necessary permit & licence
The event is alleged to have taken place without a police permit under the Public Order Act 2009 (POA), MOM said.
It also took place without a licence under the Public Entertainments Act 1958 (PEA).
Moreover, no Miscellaneous Work Pass was applied for Amir to deliver a talk with religious content.
Bangladeshi preached extremist teachings at migrant worker dorm
In a press release in Aug 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said Amir’s sermon “propagated extremist and segregationist teachings”.
For example, he inferred that non-Muslims are “infidels”, holding up alleged Bangladeshi extremists as bastions of religious piety, including several leaders of an Islamist party whose members had been arrested for involvement in alleged terrorist activities.
During his sermon, he labelled the previous Bangladeshi government headed by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina as “oppressors” and claimed victory will come when Bangladesh becomes an “Islamic country”.
Amir Hamza. Source: Mufti Amir Hamza on X
In Bangladesh, Amir has reportedly promoted religious intolerance, hatred and violence in his sermons, and is also alleged to be an influential figure in a pro-Al-Qaeda terror organisation.
He was arrested for his purported terror links, terrorism-related activities and inciting militancy in 2021, after his speeches allegedly influenced a terror suspect who planned to attack Bangladesh’s Parliament.
He reportedly admitted to deliberately misinterpreting religious teachings and spreading extremism and was released on bail in Dec 2023.
Bangladeshi used passport with different names from records
The Internal Security Department (ISD) is aware of Amir and his background.
However, when he entered Singapore on 9 Aug 2024, he used a passport that bore a different name from ISD records. The agencies also did not have his biometric information.
He left Singapore on 10 August, the day after the assembly.
On 12 August, police reports were made that he had preached to the group of Bangladeshi migrant workers.
S’porean charged with 3 offences
On Thursday (27 March), Sattar was charged in court with three offences:
- Organising a public assembly without a police permit under POA
- Providing public entertainment without a public entertainment licence under PEA
- Abetting a foreigner to conduct activities as a religious speaker in Singapore without a work pass under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990 (EFMA)
If convicted, he faces a fine of up to S$5,000 for the POA offence, a fine of up to S$20,000 for the PEA offence, and a fine of up to S$20,000 and/or a jail term of up to two years for the EFMA offence.
Dorm operator also charged
Additionally, as Sattar was a director at SBM Electrical & Automation Pte Ltd at the time, the company was charged under the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act 2015.
This is because the dormitory operator had allowed a large number of foreign workers, who were non-residents of the dormitory — to enter its premises for the event, without maintaining proper records of their entry and departure.
Hence, it was charged for failing to maintain this up-to-date record, which is a breach of licence conditions.
The operator faces a fine of up to S$50,000 and/or up to one year in prison for each contravention.
MOM approval needed for religious, race-related or political events in dorms
MOM said that since Oct 2024, dorm operators must seek the ministry’s approval for any events that are religious, race-related, or based on political causes that will be held within the dormitory premises.
This application must be made at least 30 days before the event.
It must also keep within the premises a record of individuals entering the premises who are neither dorm residents nor employees for at least one year.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and Mufti Amir Hamza on X.
