The murders of two foreign nationals in Dhaka and Rangpur last week were premeditated and are likely to be connected to BNP-Jamaat coalition, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The premier also refuted the claims that militant organisation the Islamic State (IS) orchestrated the murders.
The prime minister made the remarks at a press conference at her official residence Ganabhaban yesterday to brief the press about her recent visit to the US to attend the UN General Assembly.
One of the victims were Italian citizen Cesare Tavella, 51, who was shot dead on the evening of September 28 in the capital’s Gulshan area, and the other was Japanese citizen Kunio Hoshi, 65, who was also shot dead in Alutari area in Rangpur’s Kawnia upazila on October 3 morning.
“Both the foreigners were killed the same way… these were planned murders. If you assemble the remark of a BNP leader and the reaction after the killing of the Italian national, it becomes clear,” she said.
The prime minister said the government was taking steps to arrested the killers. “However, these murders should not undermine all our achievements. If you think so, then the objective of BNP-Jamaat clique and Razakars will be fulfilled,” the UNB quoted her as saying.
Responding to a series if question regarding the murders, Hasina said there must be a common motive behind the murders. “Of course, some planning is involved here… The trial of war criminals are in progress, and these elements were in power for 21 years after 1975. We are holding their trial, they would surely demonstrate some reactions.”
However, regarding the alleged IS claim to both the murders, she said she was confident that the IS or similar organisations have yet to take root in Bangladesh.
“Our intelligence is always alert and we will not allow militants and terrorists to take shelter in Bangladesh, despite traces of radicalism that are currently seen in some youths,” BSS reported quoting the premier.
When a senior TV journalist referred to Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan reportedly recognising the IS link to the murders, Hasina said: “The claim of IS involvement with the murders came from a social media statement posted in Chicago. But so far no proof has been found that indicates that claim to be true. Why should we accept a status posted by unknown persons from Chicago?
“Our local intelligence has so far failed to come up with any information regarding these killings. How did our home minister recognise the claim… surely this should not have been said, and I don’t see any logic behind making such a comment unless any proof is found through the investigation,” she said, as the UNB reported.
Responding to another question, Hasina said there was a time when terrorism and militancy were created in Bangladesh, but the present government has controlled these elements with an iron hand.
She said the mass people have to strengthen their anti-militancy and anti-terrorism stance.
Hasina also said there was a group not happy at all with Bangladesh’s progress as a democratic country. “They are trying to destabilise the country and they will continue their efforts.”