The United States have called upon the Bangladesh government to investigate every aspect of the shooting death of Japanese citizen Kunio Hoshi, the second foreign national killed in the country within a week.
US Ambassador-designate to Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat Saturday made the call through a statement posted on the official Facebook account of US Embassy in Dhaka.
The statement reads: “I urge the Government of Bangladesh to investigate every aspect of this crime and to bring the perpetrators to justice as soon as possible."
Offering her condolences to Hoshi's family, friends, and Japan, Bernicat also stated:"I am deeply saddened by the murder of Japanese citizen Kunio Hoshi in Rangpur.”
Earlier in the day, Kunio Hoshi, 65, the Japanese citizen but born in Bangladesh, was shot dead by masked assailants in Kownia in Rangpur district.
Read more: 4 detained over Japanese national murder
After the incident, the Japan Embassy in Bangladesh issued an alert for Japanese citizens in Bangladesh.
"We have encouraged them to exercise a maximum level of vigilance," an embassy official said.
The notice advised Japanese to remain alert while travelling.
It also advised its citizens to travel through cars and remain vigilant while going outside of their hotels and houses.
The Rangpur shooting 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.
Also Read: The man who was 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.
"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.
Read also: US also alerts its citizens in Dhaka.
Following the murder of Hoshi, South Korean Embassy in Dhaka also issued a notice the same day.
The notice reads: “According to local media reports, a Japanese national was shot and killed by unknown miscreants in Kaunia, Rangpur city in the morning on Oct 3 [Saturday].
“Exercise caution and maintain a high level of personal security awareness at all times in all places.”
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.
Take a look: Australia withdraw from Bangladesh tour
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.
