Bangladeshi couple sentenced in US for conspiring to provide material support to ISIS

United States District Court has sentenced a Bangladesh couple for conspiring to provide material support to ISIS.

The convicted couple is- Shahidul Gaffar, 40, and Nabila Khan, 35, both residents of Pennsylvania.

They were sentenced to 18 months and two years in prison, respectively, by United States District Court Judge Joshua D. Wolson for conspiracy to provide material support and resources to ISIS, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Wolfe and Robert Livermore.

Judge Wolson also sentenced both defendants to three years of supervised release, confirmed by Jennifer Arbittier Williams, acting United States attorney.

According to court documents, in 2015, Gaffar and Khan, a married couple originally from Bangladesh, provided and attempted to provide financial support to two of Khan's brothers who traveled to Syria to join ISIS fighters.

Several international transactions have been made to Khan's second brother, IK then resided in Bangladesh in the year 2015.

IK is an observer and follower of Anwar al-Awlaki, a designated global terrorist who is now deceased.

Reportedly, in early July 2015, IK traveled to Syria to join ISIS. 

IK was ultimately killed in the fighting in Syria in March 2019.

"The defendants encouraged and financially supported the efforts of Nabila Kahn's brothers to join the murderous terrorist group ISIS, which is a direct threat to the United States. The public can rest assured that our Office is working tirelessly every day to protect all Americans from the threat of terrorism," says Acting United States Attorney Williams.