IS link not confirmed

After an Italian aid worker was shot to death in an attack reportedly claimed by the Islamic State (IS), the government said the terror outfit has no presence in Bangladesh and police have yet to find the authenticity of the claim.

"We have only heard about the IS presence in Bangladesh but we haven't found any of them," Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told a press briefing at the secretariat yesterday.

"Those suspected of recruiting for the extremist group have already been arrested."

The home minister said the authorities found no evidence that the IS, also known as ISIS, was involved in the killing. "The claim has not been confirmed."

He, however, added they were looking into all the aspects to find out the motive behind the murder of Cesare Tavella, an official of Netherlands-based organisation ICCO Cooperation.

Tavella, while jogging on Gulshan Road-90 in the high security diplomatic zone on Monday evening, was gunned down by a gang of three, witnesses say.  He was already dead by the time he was taken to nearby United Hospital.

An Islamic State statement dated Monday said a "security detachment" had tracked and killed Tavella with "silenced weapons", according to the SITE intelligence group that monitors jihadist threats. It also warned that "citizens of the crusader coalition" would not be safe in Muslim nations, reports the AP.

Later, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said "we are working to verify" the reported claim. The Italian embassy in Dhaka too said yesterday, "The responsibility for the murder claimed by IS yet to be verified."

This is the second incident of a foreigner being killed in the diplomatic area since 2012. Saudi embassy official Khalaf Al Ali was shot to death near his Gulshan house in March that year.

Tavella had been working as a project manager at ICCO since arriving in Bangladesh in May this year, said his colleagues.

Heleen Saaf van der Beek, country representative of ICCO Cooperation, filed a murder case with Gulshan Police Station yesterday, not mentioning any name or number of accused.

Talking to reporters at the police station, she said Tavella's colleagues were extremely shocked at his death. "We will miss him. We extend our deepest condolence to his family and his dears and loved ones."

Meanwhile, an autopsy conducted yesterday at Dhaka Medical College morgue confirmed that Tavella was shot three times from behind.

Kazi Mahammed Abu Shama, acting chief of forensic department at the medical college, said two bullets pierced the back and one of them exited through the chest. Another bullet passed through the left hand. The forensic team took out the one that remained in the body.  

Yesterday, the Detective Branch of Police took over the case from Gulshan police. A special team comprising officials from different units was formed to assist the investigators.

Several persons, including a witness, have been quizzed.

Law enforcers collected a laptop from Tavella's flat in Gulshan-2 and another laptop and two pen drives from his office in Gulshan-1, said a DMP official of Gulshan zone.

Lucky Ahmed Sunny, manager of the building that houses the flat, said the Italian man used to leave for office around 8:00am and come back around 5:30pm. He used to go for jogging twice or trice a week.

An additional deputy commissioner of DMP told The Daily Star that they collected CCTV footage from some buildings near the crime scene but the cameras do not cover the place.

They are now collecting clips of other CCTV cameras on different roads in Gulshan area, he added.