Was Osama bin Laden in Nepal once?

There are rumours and reports coming in from Far Western Nepal that Osama Bin Ladin had once taken shelter in Daduldhura district. He was in disguise as a Hindu sage with beards and cloak. Though it is not confirmed how long he stayed in Nepal, if he did, there are several reports and articles by alkaida experts (see below) claming Al Kaida link in Nepal.

The rumour has it that Osama had returned to Pakistan in 2009 via the western part of Nepal. The truth behind the rumour is yet to be confirmed but the news about the death of the Taliban Alkaida leader has spurred up debates and talks about him in Nepal. If there is anyone who knows more about the rumour, he or she will certainly come up and speak the truth. (Read the article below)

Leftist-Islamist notoriety

By Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury

Osama Bin Laden, visited Nepal a number of times

Al Qaeda was finding new base in Nepal

Islamists and leftists have alligned in South Asia for some years, and now they have started flexing muscle, which stands as a potential threat to region’s security issues. It was already reported in the media that, Al Qaeda was finding new base in Nepal under the hidden alliance with [some forces] there. Osama Bin Laden, visited Nepal a number of times, while, there was also report of a number of Al Qaeda kingpins secretly visiting Bangladesh and meeting local Islamists.

On October 18, 2009 a member of Democratic Party of Arakan, a militant group of Myanmar, was arrested in Ruma upazila in Bandarban district in Bangladesh.

Kew Ba Mong [35] was caught by local people at Banchar Dai indigenous village near Ruma sub-dustrict in Bangladesh, who was involved in kidnapping people for ransom. Recently Kew Ba Mong created a heavy pressure on the locals for huge amount of toll to buy firearms for his party.

Democratic Party of Arakan [DPA] was founded in 1997 by U Thein Phay and follower group who separated from Natioal United Party of Arakan [NUPA] with a coup in 1996. Most of them are former members of Arakan Communist Party [ACP]. DPA led by U Thein Phay has gained a great political success since 2004.

Movement of such Islamist terror group from Myanmar has greatly increased in recent months, which terrorizes a larger section of people in the eastern part of Bangladesh. It was already reported in media that, Islamists terror outfits inside Myanmar enjoy various types of support from Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI [Inter Service Intelligence] as well as some of the notorious international network of Islamist NGOs. A number of Bangladeshi Islamist groups and individuals are also maintaining links with such militant groups of Myanmar, and are using them for various types of notoriety. A large section of Rohingyas are involved in drug and arms trafficking and have joined regional and international racket. For years, Rohingyas, who are illegally migrating to Bangladesh in a large number, are becoming a great headache for the country.

Rohingyas are located in Arakan province in Myanmar. As history speaks, Arakan was once an independent sovereign state for many centuries. It was closely linked culturally as well as politically with Bengal [now Bangladesh] because of its geographical location from where both Hinduism and Buddhism spread in the region. But, the small Muslim group in Arakan gradually got strengthened with the support of Muslim invaders including the Arab merchants, who used these Arakanese Muslims as tools of persecuting Hindus and Buddhists since 7th centure, thus virtually eliminating Hinduism and Buddhism from the province. Due to tremendous growth of Muslim influence in Arakan, in 1406 King Narameikhla, a Buddhist ruler was forced to convert into Islam and take Muslim name Sulaiman Shah. When converted Muslim Sulaiman Shah was ousted from power and was accorded shelter in Bengal by the then Muslim invader Nasiruddin Shah, and subsequently was helped with military power thus placing him back to ‘power’ in 1430.

According to reports published in Bangladesh, only in past five years, more than three thousand Rohingyas were arrested by Bangladeshi law enforcing agencies either for illegally entering the country or for being involved in various forms of serious crimes.

International community certainly needs to extend cooperation to Bangladesh in overcoming this problem.

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is the Editor and Publisher of the Weekly Blitz (www.weeklyblitz.net). (Taken from: http://www.globalpolitician.com)