Roundup: Bangladesh Police rules out IS link after arresting key suspects in Italian murder

Bangladesh Police Monday claimed to have unearthed the motive behind the murder of an Italian aid worker in capital Dhaka and ruled out IS link to the foreigner's killing last month.

The Detective Branch of Bangladesh Police early Monday arrested four persons they say are the main suspects in the murder of the Italian national who was shot dead last month in capital Dhaka's Gulshan diplomatic enclave.

Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Asaduzzaman Mia told journalists at a press briefing Monday afternoon that the professional killers committed the murder in exchange for money being hired by someone whom he termed "a so-called big brother".

He said the big brother linked to the murder of the Italian national named Tavela Ceaser hired the professional killers and asked them to kill any white-skin foreigner to create trouble for the government.

"Tavela was not target. Target was to kill someone white-skin, specially from western countries."

Gunmen have shot dead the Italian national in Bangladesh capital Dhaka, in the first attack claimed by Islamic State (IS) group jihadists.

The Italian national named Tavela Ceaser was shot dead at about 7:00 p.m. (local time) on Sept. 28 in Dhaka's diplomatic enclave Gulshan.

"We arrested four suspects over the murder, including three who were involved in the killing, in separate drives in Dhaka early Monday and they will be taken to court soon," Miah said.

The motorcycle which was used in the murder has also been seized, he said.

Police produced the suspects and the motor cycle before the media.

According to police officials, two men actively took part in the killing, while a third waited on a bike ready to flee.

Miah said the investigators have found no IS link to the murder of the Italian national.

"So far we understand after interrogating the arrested suspects that the murder was carried out as part of local and foreign conspiracies aimed at destabilizing the country," he said.

"Hope soon we will arrest the big brother who hatched conspiracy."

Investigators again raised questions about the credibility of the Washington-based jihadist threat monitoring portal, SITE Intelligence Group, which published IS statement claiming credit for the murder.

"After the arrest of the so-called big brother we could understand about the so called IS claim through one Rita Katz's SITE Intelligence Group," said Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam at the briefing.

Officials,however, claimed that the Islamic State issue brought up to hide the real criminals and their real motive which is to create trouble for the government.

"We did not find even the slightest link of militant outfits in the murder. Only one Rita Katz's SITE Intelligence Group uploaded a post where Islamic State purportedly claimed responsibility for Tavella's murder."

According to the jihadist threat monitoring portal, IS also claimed credit for the killing of a Japanese national earlier this month and bombings on Bangladesh Shias' Ashura mourning procession gatherings early Saturday.

"We've reason to doubt, every time after an untoward incident happened here only the SITE is posting IS claim."

Bangladeshi Police Chief AKM Shahidul Huq Saturday said vested interest groups, which are against the trials of war criminals in the country, may have launched the attack to create instability.

Since the killing of the two foreigners, countries including the United States have repeatedly raised alarms of the presence of Islamic State in Bangladesh although the government categorically ruled out the presence of IS link in the country.

Miah Monday said foreigners have nothing to be worried as they have beefed up security measures in Dhaka's diplomatic zones and elsewhere in the country to prevent any further untoward incident. Endit