Islamic State set to announce Bangladesh leader

Dhaka: A US-based war research group said the Islamic State (IS) terror group "intends" to announce "an affiliate" in Bangladesh, where it has "designated a local leader".

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said the radical group was preparing for a "global surge of activities" before and during Ramadan, which falls between June 6 and July 5, bdnews24 reported on Friday.

"IS continued to pursue its regional campaign objectives of establishing affiliates and increasing disorder throughout historically Muslim lands," ISW said.

The IS has reportedly been claiming responsibility for the killing of secular writers, online activists and liberal publishers in Bangladesh since September last year.

The Bangladesh government, however, denies the presence of the IS or Al Qaeda in the country, claiming that the killings were masterminded by "home-grown Islamist radicals".

The ISW said the IS could launch new offensives in North Africa and declare new affiliates in Southeast Asia, apart from Bangladesh.

This strategy will also seek to establish resilience "elsewhere" in the region as it faces challenges in Iraq and Syria, where the radical group is based.

Earlier, in its online magazine, `Dabiq`, the IS said they had found a leader for the Bengal region.

The leader, the magazine claimed, had pledged allegiance to the Khalifah Ibrahim - Al Baghdadi, who now controls parts of Iraq and Syria.