The police have picked four people up for primary interrogation over the murder of Japanese citizen Kunio Hoshi.
The detainees are Hira, a business partner of Hoshi, his house owner Zakaria Haque Bala, rickshawpuller Munnaf and a local, Murad, reported BSS.
Earlier in the day, Kunio Hoshi, 65, the Japanese citizen but born in Bangladesh, was attacked by masked assailants in Kownia in Rangpur district.
Read more: Japanese citizen shot dead in Rangpur
Quoting witnesses, Kawnia police station OC Rezaul Karim said the assailants had been waiting for the victim on the spot and they opened gunshots at Hoshi when he was going to his grass cultivation farm at Katu Alutari.
The Japanese national was rushed to Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RMCH) where the attending doctor declared him dead.
Quoting Rangpur Medical College Hospital Director Dr ASM Barkat Ullah, his Personal Secretary Ruhul Amin told the Dhaka Tribune that the man received three bullets.
The incident took place around 11am Saturday, five days into Italian citizen Cesare Tavella's murder in Dhaka's Gulshan area.
This killing also bore some similarities to the shooting death of Cesare Tavella.
"This killing was also carried by three masked men who came by motorcycle and used a pistol, so the motives may be same," Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said.
"We take both the killings seriously and hopefully will be able to identify the killers along with their motives," added the Home Minister.
Also Read: The man who was Cesare Tavella
"We have detained four persons and are trying to know the motive for the killing," Farukh Hossain, an additional superintendent of police of Rangpur district said.
Hoshi had been living as a paying guest at the house of Zakaria Haque Bala at Munshipara in the city for last few months and he used to visit his grass farm in the morning by rickshaw everyday.
"The Japanese citizen had been staying in Rangpur but did not inform police about it," Additional Police Super Joinul Abedin told our sister concern Bangla Tribune.
Read also: US also alerts its citizens in Dhaka
The official said police were investigating the motive behind the murder.
Police as well as members of other law-enforcement agencies have already engaged their all-out efforts for nabbing the criminals.
They have set up a dozen of special checkposts throughout the city, on its outskirts and in the district as a whole and in the adjoining districts with a view to nabbing the perpetrators.
Take a look: Australia withdraw from Bangladesh tour
Attacks on foreigners are rare in Bangladesh. But it has seen a rising tide of Islamist violence over the past year, in which four online critics of religious militancy hacked to death, among them a US citizen of Bangladesh origin.
Last week, the US, UK and Italy issued alerts for their citizens living in Bangladesh asking them to limit their attendance at events where foreigners may gather.
Australia cricket team postponed its Bangladesh tour on Thursday over security concern. They were scheduled to due Bangladesh on September 28.