Staff Reporter :
With the killing of two foreigners, question has been raised about the existence of the Islamic State (IS) in Bangladesh. The ministers are delivering contradictory statements on the issue.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and majority of her government’s ministers have been rejecting the IS link to the foreigners’ killing and saying that there is no existence of the IS in Bangladesh. On the other hand, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque has said that the IS militants may exists in the country in an isolated way.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Sunday said that there is no existence of the IS militant in the country. He said that no news of the involvement of the IS in foreigners killing has not been ascertained yet.
The minister, however, expects that the mystery of the killing would be solved soon and identify of the perpetrators will also be unfolded. The government is investigating the killing of two foreign nationals with top most priority, the minister told reporters after attending a function at Shafipur Ansar Academy in Gazipur.
Meanwhile, AKM Mozammel Haque at a function at Meherpur on Sunday said that that international conspiracy might be linked behind the killing of the two foreigners. He said that there is no organised IS group in the country, but there may be isolated IS militant. He also said that conspiracy is going on at home and aboard to thwart the trial of war criminals. On the other hand, Food Minister Qamrul Islam at a meeting at the National Press Club in the city said that the BNP and the Jamaat-e-Islami might have the link with the killing of foreigners. The 20-party alliance is conspiring to destabilize the country. So, It is natural to suspect the BNP-Jamaat under the circumstances, he said.
Assailants shot dead Italian citizen Cesare Tavella in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone on September 28, while the miscreants killed Japanese citizen Kunio Hoshi in Rangpur on October 3 in the similar style.
A US website informed of the IS claim of killing Tavella. On the other hand, the UK hinted at existence of the IS in Bangladesh following killing of the two foreigners.
