ISIS is now eyeing recruits from India and Bangladesh. They might be using this as their forward base for operations in the Indian subcontinent and beyond to Indo-China.

Times of India reported that Indian intelligence agencies have warned of possible presence of ISIS/ISIL in Bengal (both west and East Bengal). They have warned the officials that these areas might be the most potent recruitment grounds for ISIS in the region because of the social and religious divides.

ISIS is already encouraging the youth to join their cause using internet as well as being physically present in the bordering districts of west Bengal. Indian officials are closely monitoring the activities of the internet users in these states to prevent any possible event.

Indian Intelligence bureau conducted a nationwide survey to identify places where people were showing interest in ISIS’s activities. Howrah (a city in west Bengal) became highlighted after the fourth city after Srinagar, Guwahati and Chinchwad (a suburb of Pune) where youths between 16 to 30 have shown online interest in ISIS. Not only did the ISIS make their speech available in Bengali but in the last two months there has been a huge recovery of ISIS posters from the bordering villages in Nadia and Murshidabad.

Muslims in the region feel ignored and agitate from time to time against the Indian state. Hardline Muslims of East Bengal are against their state for their secular stance. All these factors combined make this region a very good recruitment area for extremists.