Bangladesh Terror Confab Shows Hamas Not Limited to Gaza

Late last month, Politburo chief Khaled Meshaal participated virtually in a meeting with Taliban and al-Qaida-linked leaders in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This event highlights the close ties between Hamas and the global Islamist movement aimed at restoring the caliphate, challenging the idea Hamas is only a Palestinian nationalist group.

The meeting was organized by Al-Markazul Islami, whose founder Mufti Shahidul Islam had a strong connection to Osama bin Laden. Islam fought in the 1980s jihad against the Soviets and had ties with many jihadist groups, including Jama'at Mujahideen Bangladesh, the local al-Qaida affiliate, before his death in 2023.