Al-Qaeda's Digital 'Influencers' Capture Bangladesh Mainstream: Exclusive Report

• A new study by SecDev and Rupantar exposes a sophisticated online radicalisation network in Bangladesh.
• Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) operates over 1,200 social media channels, reaching 30 million users by mid-2025.
• Extremist strategy shifted from overt violence to 'cultural influencer' tactics on mainstream platforms like Facebook.
• The network exploits public distrust in state institutions, positioning itself as an 'alternative moral authority'.
• This digital penetration poses a long-term threat to social cohesion, risking a 'hybrid ideological regime'.