Zakir Naik

Suspected Islamist militants attacked Holey Artisan Bakery, an upmarket European-style cafe  located in the city’s diplomatic quarter in the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka on Friday 1st July evening, killing 20 hostages including 17 foreign citizens. Bangladesh has said that Dr Zakir Naik, whose sermons on television and online draw large audiences across the world, inspired two of the seven young terrorists that opened fire on Friday night in a Dhaka cafe. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday directed Mumbai Police Commissioner to investigate and submit a report on controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik.

Intelligence agencies are now probing an alleged connection between Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), a front of Pakistan’s banned terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba and controversial Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik’s organisation Islamic Research Foundation website.

“I have asked the Mumbai Police Commissioner to conduct a probe (into Naik’s speeches) and submit a report,” Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.

Everything, including Naik’s speeches, his social media accounts, sources of funding (of a foundation run by him in Mumbai) will be scrutinized, said Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio.

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