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Bangladesh opposition leader among seven indicted on Italian murder charge

Xinhua, October 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

Seven persons including an opposition party leader have been indicted in a case filed for killing Italian citizen Cesare Tavella in Dhaka's diplomatic enclave Gulshan on Sept. 28 last year, in an attack claimed by Islamic State (IS) group jihadists.

Judge Kamrul Hossain Mollah of Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court in Dhaka on Tuesday fixed Nov. 24 for starting the trial in the case.

According to the charge sheet, ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader MA Qayum planned the murder of Tavella as part of hatching conspiracy to kill any white-skin foreigner to create trouble for the government.

Qayum's brother MA Matin coordinated the murder and hired three assassins to kill a "white man," the charge sheet said.

Two accused including Qayum are currently on the run. The remaining five men including Matin, who are now behind the bars, Tuesday pleaded not guilty and demanded justice after the judges read out the charges against them.

Bangladesh police have ruled out IS link to the foreigner's killing.

A BNP spokesman who did not like to be named has termed the case against Qayum and his brother false and politically motivated. Endit