Japanese shot dead in Bangladesh

Dhaka, October 3

A 66-year-old Japanese man, known for philanthropic work, was today shot dead by motorcycle-borne masked assailants in Bangladesh. He is the second foreigner to be gunned down in a week after an Italian aid worker was killed in a near-identical attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

Hosi Koniyo, who was on the way to an agriculture farm on the outskirts of northern Rangpur city in a rickshaw, was shot thrice in the chest, shoulder and hand by unidentified assassins.

"It appears to be a target killing as the assailants in masks shot him thrice. He died instantly," officer-in-charge of the local police station Rezaul Karim said.

He said doctors declared him brought dead.

"Koniyo was alone in the rickshaw. They wore masks. As he reached the scene (they) shot him in the chest, shoulder and hand and then immediately fled the scene on a motorcycle," said an eyewitness.

A frequent visitor to Bangladesh, Koniyo had been in Rangpur for the past six months and was familiar in the neighbourhood because of his philanthropic work.

The Japanese national's murder came five days after 50-year-old Italian aid worker Cesare Tavella was killed in Dhaka's diplomatic Gulshan area. — PTI