‘Foreigner killings meant to trigger instability’

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan today said the killing of foreigners in Bangladesh is meant to trigger instability in the country.

He made the comment while talking to reporters at the secretariat, reports Bangla daily Prothom Alo.

However, the minister strongly rooted out any existence of the militant outfit Islamic State (IS) in the country when asked in this regard.

The Middle East-based militant outfit reportedly claimed responsibility of both murders of an Italian national in Dhaka and a Japanese in Rangpur.

“We have never allowed any militant outfit to stand. Everything is under our control,” the minister said adding hopes that investigators will soon crack the cases.

Hoshi Kunio, 66, was gunned down by unidentified assailants at Alutari in the upazila yesterday morning when he was going by a rickshaw to his grass farm there.

The killing took place five days after an Italian national Cesare Tavella was gunned down, in similar fashion, in Dhaka’s diplomatic area Gulshan.

No one has been arrested over either of the killings, but six people have been detained for quizzing over the murder of the Japanese national.

Meanwhile, a top-level police meeting has decided to boost security of diplomats and foreigners in their workplaces and residences after the double murders in space of less than a week.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Hoque has instructed the force to come down hard on those responsible for the murders.

Today, a team of elite force Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Japanese mission in Dhaka is visiting the crime scene.