Two of the five Bangladeshi terrorists who hacked to death 20 people at a restaurant in Dhakas diplomatic zone used to follow three controversial Islamists, including Indian Islamic preacher Zakir Nayek, says a report from the Daily Star.

Terrorist Rohan Imtiaz, son of an Awami League leader, propagated on Facebook last year quoting Peace TVs preacher Nayek urging all Muslims to be terrorists, the Daily Star reported.

Nayek, a popular Islamic orator and founder of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation, is banned in United Kingdom and Canada for his 'hate speech aimed against other religions'.

He is among 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia.

He is wildly popular in Bangladesh through his Peace TV although his preaching often demeans other religions and even other Muslim sects, the report said.

Another Dhaka attacker Nibras Islam, 22, used to follow two alleged suspected recruiters of Islamic State Anjem Choudary and Shami Witness -- on Twitter in 2014.

Shami Witness is the Twitter account of 24-year-old Mehdi Biswas, who is also facing trial in India for running propaganda for the Islamic State. He was arrested in December 2014 following an investigation into his Twitter account which was last active in August 2014.

Biswas was charged for operating the single most influential pro-ISIS Twitter account.