Italian man shot dead on walk in Bangladeshi capital

The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for gunning down the Italian citizen on the street in the diplomatic quarter of Bangladesh’s capital, according to an intelligence group monitoring jihadist threats. If confirmed, the incident would be the first such attack by the group in the South Asian nation.

He was rushed to hospital, where doctors declared him dead, Mr Islam added.

EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Pierre Mayaudon has expressed his dismay following the savage assassination of Italian aid worker Cesare Tavella, employed by a Netherlands-based NGO, in Dhaka.

An online statement in the name of the hardline Islamist group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on Tavella.

It was not immediately clear how close the witnesses were to the attack, and how the gunshots could have been heard if a silencer was used. Nearly 90 percent of Bangladesh’s 160 million people are Muslim.

The Italian man was gunned down in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone on Monday, police said, and died later in hospital.

The US and United Kingdom embassies in Bangladesh have restricted their diplomats’ movements and warned visitors to stay on high alert after receiving information that militants may be targeting Westerners.

The attack came a day after Cricket Australia said it was delaying its departure to Bangladesh for an October tour due to government fears that militants may be planning to target Australian interests.

One witness, Sitara Begum, said she was terrified upon hearing the shots while she was sitting on the road near the scene of the attack.

There have been heightened security fears in the country after the violent deaths of a number of atheist bloggers this year, which sparked a crackdown on local hard-line Islamist groups.