Bangladesh-based Alhaj Shamsul Hoque (ASH) Foundation is funding the construction of a mosque in the remote Inarawa area of Sunsari district, near Biratnagar, in Nepal. The mosque, named Masjid-E-Razzaq, will be a religious hub for the Muslims, who comprise only 5% of Nepalโs total population, said the ASH Foundation chairman, Engineer Muhammed Nasir Uddin of Chattogram.
Jamaat-linked Nasir is a private inspector of Chattogram Central Jail and a member of the Consumer Rights Protection Committee.
He has recently been seen holding meetings with Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) operative and Hefazat-e-Islam leader Mufti Harun Izhar, who created a stir after declaring to build a mosque around the Chandranath Temple. Nasir also celebrated the bail order given to Shafiur Rahman Farabi, an al-Qaeda operative convicted of the murder of American citizen Dr. Avijit Roy.
Islamists building a mosque near Chandranath Temple 90% confirmed
NCP preparing for Turkish-style armed jihad in Bangladesh, assault on India
On July 18, Nasir laid the foundation stone of the mosque in the presence of local dignitaries, including the areaโs Member of Parliament Dr. Israel, the ward chairman, and other respected figures. He hoped that the building would be complete in six months.
Before heading for the event, Nasir met with the Bangladesh Ambassador, Md. Shafiqur Rahman, at the latterโs office and had dinner with him.
More concerning were his public remarks during the ceremony, where he clearly stated that the mosque would function not only as a religious centre for Muslims but also for Islamic dawah (proselytisation) among the remaining 95% of Nepalโs non-Muslim population โ particularly Hindus.
In effect, this project is a stepping stone toward the long-term goal of religious conversion and demographic engineering, award-winning investigative journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury wrote in an article in the Weekly Blitz in August.
Moreover, Nasir also declared to fund the purchase of a building beside a Muslim orphanage in the same area and urged people to donate.
The economy of fundamentalism in Bangladesh: Funding, revenue, and political patronage
Understanding the YunusโPakistan nexus
In an official statement, the Ash Foundation claimed: โRazzak Mosque is expected to become a spiritual and communal centre for Muslims in Sunsari, as well as an example of inter-community cooperation and development in Nepal. The foundation is committed to supporting religious and educational infrastructure for underserved communities across South Asia.โ
According to its Facebook page, the Ash Foundation was founded in 2018 and formally registered as an NGO in Bangladesh on September 20, 2022, with registration number 3201. Previously, it had operated as a joint stock company (RJSC Number 620/2018).
On July 18, the foundation also posted a public call for donations to fund mosque construction and to expand similar projects across Nepal and other neighbouring countries.
Following publication of an article about the mosque project in the Weekly Blitz, Nasir held a press conference on August 9 and filed a defamation case against the journalist in Chattogram on August 17.
Earlier, Nasir called him and expressed dismay about the article. โI asked him to send a rejoinder if he thinks, information in the article is false or wrong.
โI also asked him if he has permission from the Bangladesh authorities to construct the mosque by spending thousands of dollars. In response, he said, he is allowed to carry $10,000 during foreign trips. When I reminded him that any Bangladeshi citizen is allowed to carry a maximum $5,000 during trips to non-SAARC nations. Instead of attending to this point, he asked me how much cash I was paid by Israel for writing the article.
Demand for return to East Pakistan, led by Yunus-Azmi, growing in Islamabad, Dhaka
Brig Azmiโs Dark Plan: Islamizing army, unleashing suicide squads on India
Report: Militants planned siege of Indian High Commission in Dhaka
โSuch practices of bullying a journalist by an Islamic NGO have been happening in Bangladesh since last year’s Jihadist Coup. I am humbly seeking the attention of rights groups and media outlets to matter,โ Salah Uddin said.
The threat came to light at a time when the Bangladeshi media have been having a tough time due to mob violence, intimidation, revocation of accreditation cards of journalists, filing of murder cases against them and denial of bail since the August 5 changeover last year.
Various national and international rights groups have condemned the ongoing repression of the press and the impunity for the perpetrators.
Smokescreen of charity
Journalist Salah Uddin said that behind the smokescreen of charity and religious outreach lies a deeper, more insidious plot. Intelligence sources indicate that Pakistanโs ISI is covertly backing this initiative, in coordination with a network of Islamist nations, including Turkey and select Gulf countries.
Once completed, the mosque could serve not only as a religious structure but as a logistics and recruitment centre for jihadist networks such as Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Hamas, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and others.
This strategy mirrors similar methods used in parts of Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Balkans, where mosques and so-called โIslamic cultural centresโ have operated as fronts for intelligence gathering, radical indoctrination, and militant recruitment. The ultimate goal is to undermine non-Muslim states by creating ideological and demographic footholds, which are later used to foster unrest and armed conflict.
For Nepal โ a country with no history of sectarian strife โ this infiltration represents a dangerous turning point. By exploiting its open borders and peaceful society, extremist elements are now embedding themselves within the social fabric, potentially sowing seeds for future discord and terror.
What is unfolding in Nepal must serve as a red alert to all regional stakeholders. Allowing terrorist-linked NGOs and ISI-backed religious centres to gain ground under the cloak of humanitarianism and interfaith dialogue is a catastrophic security risk. If left unchecked, Nepal could be transformed into a staging ground for pan-Islamist insurgency, threatening not only its own sovereignty but also the stability of India, Bhutan, and the wider South Asian region. Immediate diplomatic and intelligence coordination among SCO nations is essential to thwart this calculated jihadist expansion before it engulfs yet another peaceful nation in flames.
Nasirโs press conference
In a written statement at the press conference, Nasir said that several online portals and social media outlets, including the Weekly Blitz, Highland Post, and Organiser made โfabricated and falseโ allegations of the ASH Foundation being involved in โmilitancy, conversion and international conspiracy.โ
Nasir said that the construction of the mosque began at the request of the local Muslim community of Nepal and with the official approval of the administration. โLocal parliament members and public representatives were present at the inauguration ceremony. But some media outlets are deliberately linking the project with militancy and conversion and spreading misinformation.โ
He claimed that the Weekly Blitz newspaper had linked the ASH Foundation to the Pakistani ISI and militant networks without any evidence and called for the cancellation of the registration of the newspaper.
Nasir claimed that ASH Foundation is a non-political and humanitarian organisation approved by the Bangladesh government. It has been conducting various humanitarian activities, including free ambulance service during Durga Puja, distribution of relief in flood-affected areas, and installation of tube wells with the help of minority communities.
Nasir wages unity among Islamists
On August 17, Nasir held an online conference of the Society of Humanitarian Organisation and Volunteers (SoHoV) where representatives of at least 16 so-called social groups participated.
The SoHoV members strongly condemned and protested against the news article and demanded maximum punishment for journalist Salah Uddin.
The organisations that expressed solidarity are Al Musaidah Foundation, Abam Foundation, Akshar Shebaghar Bangladesh, Bangladesh Welfare Society, Durbin Foundation, Manush Je, Smile Bangladesh, Nagar Phul, Priyo Chittagong Poribar, Jatrichauni, Manobik Asghar Foundation Bangladesh, DBB Foundation (Dohazari Blood Bank), Bewarish Sheba Foundation, Jagrata Tarun, Priyo Bangladesh, and Chittagong Boys.
English