Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina dismissed on Sunday the claims of Islamic State (IS) regarding responsibility for the deaths of two foreigners.
Her remarks came a day after 66-year-old Japanese citizen Hoshi Kunio was shot dead in Bangladesh, and a week after a 50-year-old Italian, Cesare Tavella, was shot dead near Dhaka’s diplomatic zone. Both attacks were claimed by the IS.
“We have still not found any involvement (of IS). We have to investigate,” Hasina told reporters, adding “We’ve got no clues. If someone claims responsibility, why should we have to accept it?”
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has also rejected any IS presence in the country but admitted that both shootings appeared to be linked.
After the murder of the Italian, international schools closed temporarily and Western embassies restricted their diplomats’ movements, while Australia’s cricket team cancelled a planned tour due to security concerns.
